On their last day of college orientation before classes start
on Thursday, 670 Bellarmine University freshmen visited nearly 30 locations around Louisville for service projects.
Outfitted in matching Bellarmine shirts, they mulched trees, pulled weeds and picked up garbage in local parks, cleaned and
painted facilities that serve area children and stocked food for needy families.
Some of their service locations were Americana Community
Center, Boys & Girls Haven, Dare to Care, Junior Achievement, Louisville Grows, Louisville Parks & Recreation, Nativity Academy, Passionist Earth & Spirit Center and the St. Joseph Children’s Home.
The Knights in Action program
was incorporated into new student orientation in 2011. It connects students to the university's mission-driven focus on service, which will be an integral part of their educational experience throughout their time at Bellarmine.
In an
interview with WHAS-11 this week, Brooke Wilson -- Bellarmine's director of service and leadership -- said the experience helps
students become acquainted with their college community and their city.
"We want students to start thinking about 'what does community mean and what does it look like to belong to a community?'" she said. "So that is twofold -- that's them
belonging to Bellarmine but also belonging in the greater Louisville community. And we hope this event gives them that mindset."
Knights in Action marks the return of regular student service opportunities at Bellarmine, after a summer of faculty
and staff service initiatives. In July, the annual summer picnic organized by the university's staff council incorporated three off-campus service opportunities into the event for the first time. Yesterday, the faculty members in Bellarmine's School of
Communication
prepared and served food at the Franciscan Kitchen. This was their sixth straight year of starting the academic year with team building through
service.
