Students serve and learn in the Athens community
IMPACT Service Breaks is adapting its service learning model to the local community.
When the Covid-19 pandemic caused most student activities to shut down in the spring of 2020, one important activity continued: service. Through IMPACT Local, University of Georgia students can continue serving without packing a single suitcase, right in their adopted hometown of Athens.
Born from the students’ desire to continue serving during the travel restrictions of the pandemic, IMPACT has so far hosted 11 service learning programs in the Athens-Clarke community, addressing community needs ranging from food justice to women’s health. Though the “Local” program is in its infancy, productive relationships have already been forged with several Athens-area nonprofits, including Divas Who Win, the Athens Diaper Bank, Butterfly Dreams, Project Red, Food for Lives and Clarke County schools.
