Over 600 Central College students, faculty and staff participated in nearly 65 service projects during the college’s annual Service Day Tuesday.

Volunteers contributed to projects in Pella, Knoxville, Oskaloosa, Des Moines, Ottumwa, Newton and Otley. Project sites included schools, food banks, churches, community gardens, parks and senior centers.

Organized by the office of community-based learning, this single-day event provides hundreds of hours of service every year, valued at approximately $75,000, says Cheri Doane, director of community-based learning. In Pella, students helped prepare for Tulip Time, spruced up retirement communities, got the Pella Aquatic Center ready for outdoor swimming and picked up trash along Highway 163.

More than 45 academic courses across 15 departments include semester-long components in service-learning at Central College. Many students also complete custom-designed service opportunities, using their unique skills to enhance community partners’ work in specific ways, such as grant writing, research, managing websites and planning events.