For immediate release: June 30, 2011

BLOOMSBURG — Bloomsburg University’s TRiO Upward Bound students will walk to seven locations in the town of Bloomsburg for Service Day Saturday, July 9.

The students and their tutor counselors will paint, landscape, perform skits and make arts and crafts.

The students will provide service to the Bloomsburg YMCA, Habitat for Humanity, Children’s Museum of Bloomsburg Inc., Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble, Bloomsburg Health Care Center, Moose Exchange and Suncom Industries Inc.

According to Jennifer Cughan, academic coordinator of TRiO Upward Bound, the service day was created to make students and tutor counselors aware of the community around them and give them a sense of readiness and preparation.

The event also will highlight various professions and give the tutor counselors the opportunity to network with the professionals of their field of study.

“We don’t call it a volunteership; it’s providing service to the people at the sites,” said Cughan.

Before heading out, Tim Pelton, BU’s civic engagement coordinator with the SOLVE volunteer office, will stress the importance of community service and the professional opportunities the day provides.

“I like to call it ‘breaking down barriers’ because the students not only provide service, but they also see how hard people with varying abilities can work,” says Cughan.

At the end of the day, the students, faculty and tutor counselors will come together to share what they’ve learned through the activities. Cughan hopes service day will inspire students to implement similar projects at their local high schools.

TRiO Upward Bound is a six-week program preparing local high school students for the college atmosphere. The students stay in a residence hall on BU’s campus and participate in classes to prepare them for the 2011-2012 academic year.

The program sponsors trips to introduce the students to colleges and professions. Participating high schools are: Berwick, Bloomsburg Area, Mahanoy Area, Milton, Mount Carmel, North Schuylkill, Pottsville, Shamokin and Shikellamy.

Bloomsburg University is one of 14 universities in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. The university serves approximately 9,000 students, offering comprehensive programs of study in the colleges of Education, Business, Liberal Arts and Science and Technology.