HAMBURG, N.Y. – During the fall 2020 semester, a team of Hilbert College students placed second in the Buffalo City Mission’s Mission Possible Food Drive Challenge, an action-oriented and educational initiative to help alleviate hunger in Erie County. The Hilbert team consisted of Dr. David Reis’s RS 200 class of 19 students.
The challenge was part of the class’s service learning opportunity. In addition to the team’s contributions to the Mission Possible challenge, the students, under the direction of Dr. Reis, also produced a Service Learning Guidebook that connected the history, values, and mission of the Buffalo City Mission to stories of Jesus and work being done in our community to assist those experiencing food and housing insecurity. While working on this project, students explored various stories of Jesus and how the gospels and words of Jesus were lived out in today’s world.
Upon conclusion of this project, the students produced a nearly 30-page Service Learning Guidebook for young learners to explore more deeply the value of service and helping our neighbors. This Guidebook was then delivered to the Buffalo City Mission for future inclusion in the organization’s community engagement work. This outstanding work, which included a video element of the students expressing what they learned, earned the Hilbert team a $1000 award from Buffalo City Mission sponsors in acknowledgement of the students’ hard work and contribution to the mission of the Buffalo City Mission.
At Hilbert, service learning is an integral part of the curriculum and the College’s dedication to the community is strong. All incoming students enrolled in traditional undergraduate programs have service learning embedded in their academic journey as part of the coursework. This commitment made by administration and faculty reinforces the importance of the connection made through service in educating students and increasing their understanding of society.
Hilbert believes that service is a fundamental part of creating a well-rounded college experience for students. Nestled in the sophomore year of the Hilbert Blueprint, service learning provides an opportunity for students to embrace the college’s mission and values while strengthening communities.
Hilbert College, located in suburban Hamburg, N.Y., south of Buffalo, is a private four-year college founded in 1957 in the Catholic Franciscan tradition. With over 800 students, Hilbert is a dynamic Western New York college that offers career-focused majors, including one of the top criminal justice programs in the region, and more than 50 minors and concentrations. The college’s engaging, student-centered campus community offers numerous leadership, internship, and service learning opportunities from which students launch successful careers while making positive changes in their communities. The Hilbert Blueprint promotes a well-rounded student experience over four years – starting with the Foundations Seminar in the freshman year, followed by Sophomore Service, Junior Symposium, and culminating with the Senior Capstone. Hilbert has expanded its academic offerings with the college’s first graduate programs in criminal justice administration and public administration, including a track in health administration.