Second Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service will be held Jan. 17 at UMM
The second annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service will be held on Monday, Jan. 17, 2011, at the University of Minnesota, Morris.
On this day, students and community members are invited to celebrate Martin Luther King's life and legacy by joining in trainings related to diversity and social justice, learning about local volunteer opportunities, making a volunteer pledge for 2011, participating in a group service project, and enjoying a free meal and program.
Based on feedback from students and community partners, the program will be slightly different this year. "We decided that making a volunteer pledge, rather than doing a couple hours of service, would have a bigger impact on the community as a whole," said Argie Manolis, Office of Community Engagement coordinator. "We thought it would be fun to do a large group, surprise service project. Students have been working hard all semester to come up with a project that reflects the goals of the day, accessible for people of all ages, that will impact the entire community. It's the kind of project that anyone of any age can participate in. But, it's a surprise. We promise it will be fun, though!"
The day kicks off at 1 p.m. in Oyate Hall in the Student Center on campus. The training, information sessions with community partners, and large group project will continue until 5:30 p.m., when a free meal will be served and program will be presented.
"All participants have to do is show up at 1 p.m. in Oyate, and we will take care of everything else. Community members are invited to join us for the whole day or just for the large group project and the meal. They can come at 4 p.m. for the end of the day, but we are hoping that students will participate in the entire day," said Hilda Ladner, Office of Equity, Diversity, and Intercultural Programs director. "We would really like to get the entire community involved in this important event."
The program is co-sponsored by the Office of Residential Life, the Office of Equity, Diversity, and Intercultural Programs, and the Office of Community Engagement.