Economic & Community Impact Analysis

5.2 - Enriching the Humboldt Region with Community Service

HSU students are continually volunteering in the local community. Through the University Youth Education Services (YES) program, each semester 300-400 student volunteers engage in 12-16 community service programs. Five students are employed under YES as Program Coordinators, and 28 serve as Student Directors. Community service programs rage from mentorships and advocacy to programming for seniors and youth from at-risk communities. Annually, students volunteer 20,000 service hours, providing services to 1,500 children and adults as well as 30 community organizations and schools.111 Student service with YES creates a community asset equal to $495,000.112

In Service Learning courses on campus, students typically conduct 20-30 hours of community service throughout the duration of the course.113 Service Learning offers students real-world opportunites to apply their area of study to issues in the community. Community issues students are involved in include child development, inequalities in the social justice system, and rural economic development. In academic year 17-18 nearly 700 students participated in 28 Service Learning Courses, contributing over 24,000 hours of service to the community.114

Annual impact of the Center for Community Based Learning

Academic Internships not only provide students with real world experience, they also create a tremendous benefit to the local community. During the 2017-18 academic year over 360 students participated in 24 Academic Internship courses, serving nearly 44,000 hours. Typically, these courses require students to complete anywhere from 60-150 hours of service. Internships include teaching at local community college, high schools, and elementary schools, income tax assistance and computer science work at local businesses or government agencies, and work with local public and private environmental management firms.115

The Center for Community Based learning estimates that students participating in Academic Internships and Service Learning courses contribute $1.9 million worth of service to the community annually, serving 435 organizations with 78,000 hours.