Community Impact at Georgia Southern University
You don’t want to just “go to college.” You want to leave your mark on the world. You want to get instruction…but you also want to get involved.
Below are just some of the ways Georgia Southern gives back.
Are you ready to make a difference?
Sustainability and Nature
Institute for Water and Health
The Institute for Water and Health is a research and education center focused on facing current water and climate issues. Partnering with faculty, businesses, nonprofits and government agencies, students have the chance to join important environmental work in southeast Georgia.
Sustain Southern
Sustain Southern advocates for best sustainable practices for faculty, staff, and students and how they can incorporate sustainable habits in their research, teaching, and service. Their work has led to a wide range of projects on campus, resulting in 11 straight years of recognition in The Princeton Review’s Guide to Green Colleges and a prestigious spot among the nation’s Green Ribbon Schools in 2018.
Center for Wildlife Education
The Center for Wildlife Education is one of the leading environmental education facilities in Georgia. Using live animals cared for by staff and student workers, the center engages with more than 17,500 children and adults annually to educate communities on native Georgia wildlife, their habitats and the impact humans have on our environment.
“These kids are working with birds of prey, owls, hawks and falcons; and flying and training these animals, and all kinds of native mammals. I had to cut through so much red tape and do years of interning before anyone would let me interact with an animal like that, and these students can come in and get that experience almost right away.”
— Corina Newsome (‘19),
Community Engagement Manager for Georgia Audubon,
about working in the Center for Wildlife Education
More Sustainability Efforts
- Oyster Reef Restoration
- Sustainable Aquaponics Research Center
- Eagles for Sustainability (E4S)
- Sustainability Projects
- Southern Sustainability Week
- Campus Community Garden
At Georgia Southern University, we believe in skills and service. That means you’ll get the hands-on training you need to be a leader in your field, but you’ll also be a part of a campus giving back to our communities, making southeast Georgia and beyond a better place.
Health Care
Center for Rehabilitation and Independent Living
The Center for Rehabilitation and Independent Living aims to improve the health and movement of people of all ages and abilities in southeast Georgia. Through research and service, camps, outreach programs and wellness initiatives, faculty and students provide assessment, rehabilitation and enhancement of human movement for everyone.
RiteCare® Center for Communication Disorders
The RiteCare Center for Communication Disorders is a teaching center that provides services for children and adults with communication delays or disorders. Services are provided by our graduate students who are supervised by licensed and certified speech-language pathologists.
Tactical Athlete Initiative
The Tactical Athlete Initiative provides research, training and support for military, police, fire and EMS workers. Faculty and students across university disciplines partner for research and education projects as well as service and community outreach programs to help our public servants perform better and avoid injury.
“My time at Georgia Southern University prepared me to work with confidence and competence. This program is unique in providing the opportunities for future physical therapists to improve and benefit the continuing needs of our United States Military.”
— Rachael N. Lacey,
Clinical Director and Holistic Health and Fitness Physical Therapist, 11th Air Defense Artillery Brigade
More Health Care Initiatives
- Center for Addiction Recovery
- Remote Area Pop-up Medical Clinics
- Free Dementia Screenings
- Magnolia Coastlands Area Health Education Center
- Super Eagles Inclusive Fitness Training
Georgia Southern students logged more than
47,000 hours
of community service from 2019 – 2020.
Youth Outreach and Education
Junior Achievement Discovery Center
The Junior Achievement Discovery Center on the Armstrong Campus in Savannah is an immersive learning experience for middle-school students. In a simulated version of greater Savannah, students apply concepts they learn in the classroom into real life. The center is the first of its kind to employ college students as instructors.
Call Me MISTER®
The Call Me MISTER (Mentors Instructing Students Toward Effective Role Models) program aims to increase the number of Georgia teachers from diverse backgrounds, building them up as leaders and fostering educator talent in high-need areas.
Camp RAD
Camp RAD provides fun, safe summer activities for youth with disabilities, teaching them important life skills that focus on health, wellness and physical activity. Faculty and students work with these young people to provide unforgettable experiences. Check out the video for more information.
“So our campers are having fun, but they’re also learning how to interact with peers and how to be a part of a community. It makes me happy to see they’re having a good time and feeling accepted in a community that normally they’re excluded from. The student volunteers just rave about how awesome camp is. And you know they’re so glad that they did it. It is such a life-changing experience.”
— Taylor Forney (‘18),
Director of the Effingham Camp RAD
More Youth Outreach and Education
Local Service
Southern Leaders
The Southern Leaders program is a leadership development and community engagement program on the Statesboro and Savannah campuses. Students in the program learn how to make a difference in their communities through training, service, team projects and leadership opportunities.
Alternative Breaks
Alternative Breakers join weeklong volunteer trips to make a local, national and global social service impact. Alternative Breakers have traveled across the Southeast U.S. as well as Chicago, Detroit and San Francisco. They’ve also traveled internationally to Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Honduras and El Salvador.
Serve912
Serve912 is Georgia Southern’s community service initiative. On the Statesboro and Savannah campuses, students and leaders engage with the community through year-round, regularly scheduled volunteer trips, service activities and meeting local needs.
“In every aspect of the Office of Leadership and Community Engagement, they strive to offer and implement different opportunities that cater to the needs of the community as well as the interest of the students. My favorite part about service events was helping to meet a need. Whether that was spending quality time with residents at the nursing home or helping to tag clothes and sort toys at the thrift store, I was able to help and be a blessing to someone else.”
— Iyanna Dandrea (‘20)
More Local Service Opportunities
- DIRT (Director’s Immediate Response Team)
- Free Income Tax Assistance
- BIG (Business Innovation Group)
- Community Partners
- Institute for Community Partnerships
- BUILD (Building Undergraduate Involvement in Leadership Development)
- Nick Mamalakis Emerging Leaders
- Service Learning Courses
- LEAD Courses
- Holiday Helper Tree
- Leadership, Sustainability and Community Engagement
- Service Learning Facilitators
- Southern Leaders and Leadership Scholarships
Equity and Inclusion
Minority Advisement Program (MAP)
The Minority Advisement Program is a peer-mentoring program that helps first-year and transfer students transition to Georgia Southern. The program matches these students with upperclassmen to assist them with getting used to college life.
T.R.U.L.Y. You
TRULY (Trust, Respect, Understand. Love Yourself) You is a mentoring program for LGBTQ+ students to find opportunities for cultural and academic support.
Asian Pacific American Initiative (APA)
The Asian Pacific American Initiative is a mentoring program providing support to students who identify as Asian Pacific American. APA strives to educate students and staff on not only Eastern Asian cultures but also on Asian cultures that are overshadowed and underrepresented.
“My favorite thing about APA is the people. I joined APA to connect with people that I could relate to. APA is easygoing and filled with warm people.”
— Trinh Truong, sophomore from Savannah