Boston, MA – February 28, 2008 – The Corporation for National and Community Service named Wentworth Institute of Technology to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction for exemplary service efforts and service to disadvantaged youth. Launched in 2006, the Community Service Honor Roll is the highest federal recognition a school can achieve for its commitment to service-learning and civic engagement.

“It’s truly an honor to receive this recognition as it reinforces Wentworth’s commitment to the community through service learning and civic engagement,” said Dr. Zorica Pantić, President of Wentworth. “Service learning is an integral part of Wentworth's culture and is integrated throughout the curriculum. Our students have done an incredible job of giving their time and talent to meaningful community projects.”

Honorees for the award were chosen based on a series of selection factors including scope and innovativeness of service projects, percentage of student participation in service activities, incentives for service, and the extent to which the school offers academic service-learning courses.

Wentworth’s Center for Community and Learning Partnerships seeks to facilitate creative activities and programs that address community interest while enhancing educational experience through community service, service learning, and various outreach initiatives. During the 2006-2007 academic year, more than 1,800 students contributed 105,000 hours to community-based work and service, resulting in an estimated economic impact valued at more than $2.5 million. Students have designed a wireless network for use in the local neighborhood, worked on design projects for community visioning and community improvements, and led market research studies. Currently, students are involved with projects focused on web application development, community design, sports management and college access, and volunteer income tax assistance.

In congratulating the winners, U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings said, “Americans rely on our higher education system to prepare students for citizenship and the workforce. We look to institutions like these to provide leadership in partnering with local schools to shape the civic, democratic and economic future of our country.”

The Honor Roll is jointly sponsored by the Corporation, through its Learn and Serve America program, and the Department of Education, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, USA Freedom Corps, and the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation.

Overall, the Community Service Honor Roll awarded six schools with Presidential Awards. In addition, four schools were recognized as Special Achievement Award winners, 127 as Honor Roll with Distinction members and 391 schools as Honor Roll members. In total, 528 schools were recognized. A full list is available at www.nationalservice.gov/honorroll.

About the Corporation for National and Community Service
The Corporation for National and Community Service is a federal agency that improves lives, strengthens communities, and fosters civic engagement through service and volunteering. The Corporation administers Senior Corps, AmeriCorps and Learn and Serve America, a program that supports service-learning in schools, institutions of higher education and community-based organizations. For more information, go to http://www.nationalservice.gov.

Wentworth Institute of Technology
Founded in 1904, Wentworth Institute of Technology is an independent, co-educational nationally ranked institution offering career-focused education through 15 Bachelor degree programs in areas such as architecture, computer science and systems, construction management, design, engineering, engineering technology, environmental science, and management. For over a century, Wentworth has been a leader in technical education known for its academic excellence, community service, and support for the economic growth of the region. For more information, please visit www.wit.edu.