Student Life

October 21, 2015 | By Ohio Wesleyan University

Ohio Wesleyan has been named a Top 5 national finalist in the President’s Interfaith Community Service Campus Challenge in the category of interfaith community service. OWU students typically complete more than 40,000 hours of service each academic year.

Ohio Wesleyan University Named Top 5 National Finalist in President’s Interfaith Community Service Campus Challenge

Ohio Wesleyan has been named a Top 5 national finalist in the President’s Interfaith Community Service Campus Challenge in the category of interfaith community service. OWU students typically complete more than 40,000 hours of service each academic year. A recent example is the Oct. 11 CROP Walk, which included more than 250 OWU and community walkers and raised more than $10,000 to fight hunger. (Photo by Shashank Sharma ’17)

DELAWARE, Ohio – Ohio Wesleyan University students are well-known for their willingness to donate their time and energy to service projects. More than 80 percent of the student body regularly participates, completing more than 40,000 hours of service each year.

At the beginning of fall semester, three students and two staff members attended the President’s Interfaith Community Service Campus Challenge Conference in Washington, D.C. Ohio Wesleyan has been participating in Interfaith Community Service Campus Challenges since 2010, when President Obama invited every institution in higher education to get involved.

This year, Ohio Wesleyan is among the top five universities in the country honored for their work in the area of Interfaith Community Service. Other national finalists are Georgetown University (D.C.), Nazareth College (New York), Grand Valley State University (Michigan), and Augsburg College (Minnesota).

The honor is part of the President’s Interfaith and Community Service Honor Roll, which was expanded over the past year to recognize efforts in General Community Service, Economic Development, Education, and Interfaith Community Service.

In 2014, Ohio Wesleyan was recognized for General Community Service and with Distinction for Interfaith Community Service. In 2009, Ohio Wesleyan was one of three colleges in the country honored for Excellence in General Community Service. Ohio Wesleyan has been included on the national Honor Roll list consistently for the past six years.

Learn more about Ohio Wesleyan’s commitment to community service and its Office of Community Service Learning at https://www.owu.edu/about/offices-services/community-service-learning/.

Founded in 1842, Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the nation’s premier liberal arts universities. Located in Delaware, Ohio, the private university offers 87 undergraduate majors and competes in 23 NCAA Division III varsity sports. Ohio Wesleyan combines a challenging, internationally focused curriculum with off-campus learning and leadership opportunities to connect classroom theory with real-world experience. OWU’s 1,675 students represent 43 U.S. states and territories and 33 countries. Ohio Wesleyan is featured in the book “Colleges That Change Lives,” listed on the latest President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction, and included in the U.S. News & World Report and Princeton Review “best colleges” lists. Learn more at www.owu.edu.