Community Engagement
What is Community Engagement?
Georgia Gwinnett College promotes partnership between our institution and our larger communities (local, regional/state, national, global) for the exchange of knowledge and resources in a context of partnership. By creating opportunities for scholarly interaction and civic exchanges, the College and its community partners can develop successful relationships and programming to strengthen community involvement, activities and citizen participation. Beyond the realm of service, GGC supports an environment of outreach and participation in the local and global community to make a difference. While working with partners in Lawrenceville, Gwinnett County and the Atlanta-area, GGC has begun outreach efforts that extend to support our students and promote their service involvement and efforts to bridge a stronger connection with the community-at-large.
Gwinnett County has offered unique partnership and outreach opportunities for GGC students, providing both academic and experiential support that combines scholarly practice and practical applications. Working with various individuals, organizations and businesses in the county, the SLACCE office helps promote critical thinking and active citizenship, a great benefit to our GGC students.
Have a community connection or organization that wants to get involved with our GGC students? Contact the SLACCE office at 678.407.5881 to learn how you can create outreach opportunities with the College.
The Great American Cleanup Gwinnett Challenge
Volunteer for the Great American Cleanup Gwinnett Challenge and make GGC and Gwinnett the greenest, cleanest place in America.
The Great American Cleanup Gwinnett Challenge, part of the nation’s largest annual community improvement program, brings together the power of thousands of volunteers to create local change.
Locally, last year more than 22,000 people completed 207 projects to clean, beautify and improve Gwinnett. Projects included beautifying parks, cleaning streets and roadways, planting trees and gardens, cleaning streams and waterways, holding recycling collection events, wiping out graffiti and beautifying neighborhoods.
To join the movement to a greener, cleaner Gwinnett , visit http://www.gwinnettcb.org/.
Relay For Life
Quick Fact:
One in three people will be diagnosed with cancer during their lifetime. The funds raised at Relay are used for cancer research, early detection and prevention education, advocacy efforts, and life-affirming patient services.
Source: The American Cancer Society
This nation-wide event is the American Cancer Society's flagship campaign to raise money and awareness for the fight against cancer. GGC supports this critical mission by participating every spring semester with the Gwinnett County chapter. In fact, Gwinnett County’s event is known for being the largest Relay for Life fundraiser in the country, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
The GGC Relay For Life team, in partnership with Colleges Against Cancer, hosts a kick-off event in the spring and plans several fundraising events leading up to the actual relay day commemorating the four areas of advocacy, survivorship, education and relay for life to educate and create an awareness and connection among the GGC community. There is a myriad of activity including comedy shows, free-throw contests and more. The actual relay is a 24-hour event where participants take turns walking laps. The 24-hour duration symbolizes that cancer never sleeps. The GGC team members can walk the course or assist at the team’s campsite during the event – or both! The feeling of community spreads through the atmosphere as walkers come together to celebrate, remember and fight back.
Gwinnett Great Days of Service
Quick Fact:
Not surprisingly, volunteers and non-volunteers in general tend to spend their time in very similar ways, spending similar amounts of time in work, leisure, and other activities. However, there are some important differences, including the amount of time each of these groups spends watching television. On average, those who have never volunteered watch 436 more hours of television than volunteers each year.
Source: The Corporation for National and Community Service
As one of America’s fastest growing counties, Gwinnett County is quickly approaching a population of one million. Gwinnett Great Days of Service addresses specific needs in the county through volunteer projects that benefit local non-profit organizations and schools that suffer from limited resources. Landscaping, painting, supply drives and building playgrounds are just some of the typical projects.
It's no small undertaking. Gwinnett Great Days of Service reports that over 80,000 volunteers completed 150 service projects for the 2009 event, which made it one of the largest volunteer initiatives in the country. In addition, GGC participates on the GGDOS Leadership Steering Committee to lead this countywide program. We invite you to get your club, organization or friends involved in this community event.
