Students are invited to learn about different opportunities to give back to the community during the Burnett Honors College\u2019s 7th annual Civic Engagement Fair.<\/p>\n
The fair will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 27, in the honors college lobby, and it will showcase organizations that are part of the Honors Educational Reach Out, or HERO, program.<\/p>\n
The fair is a chance for all UCF students to learn about different volunteer programs focusing on hunger and homelessness, health and wellness, legal issues, animal rights, the environment, and education.<\/p>\n
There also will be information about the Alternative Break Program and Achieve a College Education Day, an annual honors college event that brings 500 fifth graders to UCF and shows them the benefits of attending college.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you are engaged in the community, you are experiencing real world issues,\u201d said Kelly Astro, director of Research and Civic Engagement\u00a0for the honors college. \u201cNot only are you gaining a different perspective from being out in the community and working with people that might be a little different from you, but you are realizing how your particular field of study can make an impact, and it makes for a more well-rounded student.\u201d<\/p>\n
During the 2013-14 academic year, the honors college had 1,052 volunteers who contributed more than 24,000 civic engagement hours to 28 different schools and community organizations.<\/p>\n