Office of Governor Gary Locke
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - September 17, 1997
Contact:  Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4136

Gov. Locke visits universities to promote volunteerism among college students

OLYMPIA - Gov. Gary Locke today travels to the four corners of the state with Western Washington University President Karen Morse, the governor's representative at President Clinton's summit on America's future, to encourage college students to volunteer.

Locke will visit with students from Whitworth College in Spokane, Western Washington University in Bellingham, Seattle University and Washington State University's Vancouver branch campus. This gives the governor an opportunity to see first-hand the variety of ways students at Washington colleges and universities enhance their learning experience through tutoring and mentoring younger students in their communities.

"A strong democracy depends on strong communities where people give of themselves to improve the lives of others," said Locke. "The college students I'm visiting today are gaining the personal rewards of volunteering and serving as examples for all of us to follow. Communities across the state are better places to live, work and raise a family because of college students who volunteer."

"Throughout the state," said Morse, "students have demonstrated through volunteer activities that they strengthen themselves while at the same time strengthening their communities. Research has shown every student-outcome measure - grades, retention, and enrollment - is favorably influenced by community service. That is why I support these kinds of learning opportunities as a part of Western's educational experience and as a model for young people throughout our country. At Western alone, nearly 5,000 students volunteered almost 700,000 hours of community service in 1996. "

Beginning in Spokane, the governor will visit Whitworth College's Homework Helpers Program, in which college students help elementary students with their school work. At Western Washington University in Bellingham, Locke will observe students mentoring Native American middle- and high-school students as part of the Native American Mentoring Project.

In the afternoon, Locke will meet with Seattle University and elementary-school students at Bailey Gatzert Elementary School, 1301 E. Yesler, to highlight the Children's Literacy Project, in which Seattle University students tutor at seven inner-city elementary and middle schools. In Vancouver, he will meet with WSU education students to see how they work with K-12 youth in the schools.

Today's visits follow President Clinton's summit for America's future, held last April in Philadelphia. The schools on the tour are four of 20 Washington schools that belong to Campus Compact, a national coalition of colleges and universities, founded by their presidents in 1985 to encourage community service. The coalition numbers 520 institutions nationwide with the Washington Campus Compact headquartered at Western Washington University in Bellingham. President Morse is the Campus Compact state chairwoman.

The day will end in Olympia as the governor meets with presidents from the state's universities to discuss the role of higher education in developing student citizenship and leadership.

A leading authority on student assessment, Alexander W. Astin, director of the Higher Education Research Institute at the University of California-Los Angeles, also will address the presidents in Olympia. Astin's research points to participation in community service as having positive effects on students' studies and their lives after graduation.

» Return to this month's News Releases

» View News Release Archive