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The state of Iowa was recently ranked second in the nation in volunteerism, and students at Central College and other Iowa colleges played a large role in that accomplishment. In the 2008-2009 academic year, 819 students at Central engaged in academic service-learning projects; logging nearly 39,000 hours of volunteer work.

Each year, the college holds an annual community service day in April in which students, faculty, staff and alumni come together to volunteer to help with over 70 service projects in Pella and surrounding communities.
This year, Central College was named to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll With Distinction by the Corporation for National and Community Service for its fourth consecutive year.
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Central college has been part of a surge in volunteerism at Iowa colleges, which ranked second in the nation in 2009 after being ranked 32nd in 2006, according to a report by Volunteering in America. Only Utah had a higher rate of volunteerism among its statewide population and its college students.