Aquinas College recently hosted its annual Project Unite Event during new student orientation, bringing together incoming students for a community-engaged learning experience. Project Unite at Aquinas College is an opportunity for incoming students to learn about the surrounding community and explore various ways to serve others. 

The students assembled 225 Learners and Uplift kits through United Way’s Volunteering to Go program. United Way supplied all the materials directly, enabling the students to efficiently unpack, organize and assemble the kits. Once completed, the kits created on Friday will go to Head Start for Allegan County and Arbor Circle. 

The Young Learner’s kits contain felt cutout shapes alongside other learning manipulatives, which will be used in early education service programs to help children under five with sensory and reading development. The Uplift Kits are for young adults and will include mental health resources like affirmation cards, fidget toys and more. 

To aid the hands-on experience, students also gained valuable insights into ethical service work, learning how to approach community volunteer efforts with sensitivity and respect for historically underrepresented groups and those in poverty. 

This year’s speaker was Kyle Cascarelli ‘16, an AQ Theology and Community Leadership grad with expertise in facilitating community-driven interventions and addressing complex social problems. He is currently working on a Master of Arts degree from Wayne State University in City/Urban, Community and Regional Planning.

Kyle focused his presentation on the importance and value of service. Specifically, he shared how his experiences at Aquinas helped shape his appreciation and understanding of what service looks like beyond just feel-good opportunities for those doing the service.

Throughout their time at Aquinas, students will continue to learn how to approach service work ethically. They will explore the distinctions between upstream, midstream and downstream volunteer efforts, understanding the different levels at which they can make an impact – from addressing root causes to providing immediate support. Students will learn how to contribute to meaningful, lasting change within their communities, empowering them to become thoughtful and effective agents of social transformation.