HIGH POINT, N.C., May 16, 2022 – High Point University students, faculty and staff spent nearly 500,000 hours in service to the local community during the academic year. Take a look at some of the ways the HPU family served the city of High Point this spring:

HPU’s Kappa Delta sorority raises nearly $14,000 at the Ninth Annual Superhero Dash

HPU students and community members dressed in superhero costumes on April 10 to raise money for Family Services of the Piedmont’s programs and services for child victims of abuse. The sorority raised nearly $14,000 to help fund programs like the domestic violence shelters, children’s advocacy centers, individual and family counseling, and in-home therapy.

“It was a great showing of the community coming together,” said Hali Kohls, community engagement coordinator for Family Services of the Piedmont. “We have a longstanding relationship with the Kappa Deltas that we are grateful for. We got to see community members engage, work and support each other in a way we don’t get to see on High Point University’s campus.”

Capes and medals were given to all fun run participants. The event also included activities and attractions such as superhero mask decorating stations, face painting, a photo booth, crafts, shaved ice and a visit from the High Point Fire Department.

Sophomore Education Fellows partner with Out of the Garden Project

Students partnered with the local organization for the academic year through the EDU 2100 class, Nature of the Learner, taught by Dr. Sarah Vess, associate dean of the Stout School of Education.

Students donated more than 630 pounds of food and more than $100 in donations to the Out of the Garden Project’s backpack program. Education Fellows also donated two new volunteer signs that will be used to direct volunteers on where to enter.

Students were split into groups to help fix up the facility. Kristin Salvatore, an elementary education major from Allendale, New Jersey, worked on beautifying the waiting area inside the organization. One of their projects was creating an Instagram Wall, which will encourage people to take pictures and spread the word about the organization on social media.

“I can hop in the car when I need something, but many people do not have this luxury and the freshest they can get is three or four days old,” said Salvatore. “This experience made me completely rethink the way food gets from the farm to a home in a comfortable family versus one that struggles to put food on the table.”

Communication Fellows help Special Olympics North Carolina

Students in Dr. Arden Anderson’s class were tasked with planning and implementing a sporting event to raise money for Special Olympics North Carolina. At the event, Dr. Anderson’s class raised $850 to help the local organization’s Summer Games. The Communication Fellows colloquium and assignment gave students a real-world experience in organizing a sports event and is another way that students give back to the community.

The event, “Together We Score,” was part of the HPU Women’s Lacrosse game where Special Olympics North Carolina was featured. Students designed and sold T-shirts and lanyards to fundraise at the event. Three Special Olympic athletes also took part in the event by having their names called during the team lineup and running onto the field.

“This group project showcased the extraordinary ability of our Fellows students to not only work together in executing an event from start to finish, but to also raise funds to support a local organization that gives so much to our community through sport,” said Anderson, assistant professor of sport management.

HPU’s Center for Community Engagement Donates to Arc of High Point

The Center for Community Engagement awarded the Arc of High Point, a local organization in the city of High Point, with a $1,000 donation as the Community Partner of the Year. The HPU group presented the award at the first annual awards ceremony on April 27 to celebrate local service organizations and leaders. HPU students nominated who they wanted to win the community partner of the year award, and the Arc of High Point had the most nominations.

“The $1,000 donation will help fund their educational workshops and the Access Dental Care program,” said Aleah Hayes, president of the Volunteer Center. “The Volunteer Center wanted the award to mean something more than a trophy, which is why we decided to contribute a financial component to the award.”

The Center for Community Engagement serves as the central hub for connecting university and community resources. It draws a diverse group of students into the university through scholarships and programmatic support. It also leads students, faculty and staff into the community where their intellectual and human capital comes alongside community members to promote asset-based community development. Through these efforts the Center for Community Engagement is a catalyst for civic learning and positive community change.

HPU’s Entrepreneurship Club raises money to help local entrepreneurs

HPU sophomore Kema Leonard, with the help of Kathy Elliott, HPU’s director of the Entrepreneurship Center, organized a way to help local entrepreneurs through Thrive High Point, which is a minority entrepreneurship initiative offered by Business High Point: Chamber of Commerce, launched in the fall of 2021.

The Entrepreneurship Club raised $500 for the organization as their chosen philanthropy and made a matching donation to bring the total to $1,000 donated to help minority and women-owned businesses in the city.

Leonard garnered assistance from the Social Media Marketing Club, boosting visibility and sales for the companies involved in Thrive High Point. Students spent the semester working on weekly social media marketing to help maintain an active online presence for the businesses involved.

“I am proud and encouraged by the efforts of High Point University students to work with these local companies,” said Elliott. “I think the result so far has been a great benefit to the companies and to the students.  Having the real-world experience to use their know-how shows them the value of a life skills education.”   

Elliott says this philanthropy effort is one in which the Entrepreneurship Club plans to continue.

HPU graduate leads “Voices on Washington Street” initiative

For the fourth year, the annual “Voices on Washington Street” showcase highlighted the work of HPU’s VISTAs, recent graduates who provide thousands of hours of community service, and Douglas McCollum, a former Bonner Leader and 2020 graduate. McCollum helped organize and lead the Washington Street community after school programs. Natalie Lucas and Heather Simmons, both AmeriCorps VISTAs and HPU alumni, helped with the “Passion Show” and teaching the elementary school workshops.

Each showcase included local children from the Community Writing Center and D-UP, both programs within the city of High Point. The event featured work from The Poetry Project, which is a 10-week workshop to give children the opportunity to express themselves, a youth fashion show and musical performances.

“This event exemplifies the growth and recently sustained independence of a new nonprofit in the city while simultaneously maintaining established connections and garnishing new ones,” said McCollum. “Through the talents and perspectives of the youth attending these programs, we are able to demonstrate the result of connections between service, community and institution.”