Already devoting much of her time to service at Tech while at the Institute, fourth-year environmental engineering undergraduate Emma Bones decided it was time to revive a dormant organizational arm that once served Tech’s campus.

The Community Service Council (CSC), active from 2007-09, has re-launched with a new group of students and a greater focus on serving the entire Tech community. The group aims to help student service organizations operate better and to make service opportunities easier to access.

“We did outreach to organizations that we’ll support to see what their challenges or barriers to service are right now, and how we can help,” said Bones, chair of the CSC. “We also want to integrate more with faculty, staff and the administration.” The CSC has already developed an online service calendar that aggregates the volunteer opportunities organized by various groups. The Council is also in the process of developing a database that will enable users to search for service opportunities based on interest or group.

Working with the Office of Community Service in the Division of Student Affairs, the CSC hopes to further integrate service — the second half of the Institute’s “progress and service” motto — into all aspects of Georgia Tech.

“There’s been a big push on service learning and it’s something students really want,” Bones said. Sarah Perkins, community service coordinator in the Office of Community Service, works with faculty members interested in incorporating service into their curriculum, helping them design courses in line with their goals.

Bones also hopes that faculty and staff will participate in the many service projects offered by student organizations.

“Students always say they would love faculty to join them. We hope they’ll join students, bring their families out and increase that interaction,” Bones said. 

The Council builds on an already strong legacy of service at Tech, which was named to the 2012 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll.

Though half of the spring semester has passed, there are still many opportunities for student, faculty and staff involvement before the term comes to a close, including Tech Beautification Day and Relay For Life on Saturday, March 31, and Dance Marathon on Friday, April 13. The CSC will also host a service forum on Thursday, April 19, at 6 p.m. in the Piedmont Room of the Student Center, open to all of campus.