Graduate Students Care

Eric Zavesky, a PhD student in the Department of Electrical Engineering, and Amy Yip, a volunteer.
Eric Zavesky, a PhD student in the Department of Electrical Engineering, and Amy Yip, a volunteer.
While the tradition of community service at SEAS begins in the first year of undergraduate school, it does not end there.The School’s graduate students, who come from 67 different countries and represent the world’s best colleges and universities, have several opportunities to roll up their sleeves and become part of a larger volunteer effort to improve the city in which they now live.

“Our graduate students love being able to take advantage of being in NewYork,” said Jonathan Stark, Student Affairs Officer for the Office of Graduate Student Services, “and, when given the opportunity, are eager to participate in activities that support and revitalize the city.” On a beautiful, crisp fall day in October, more than 20 SEAS graduate students joined with 8,000 other volunteers to paint hundreds of classrooms, hallways and playgrounds and organize 50 libraries at 119 public schools city-wide.

“I am thrilled at the number of students who participated, d espite being in the midst of midterms,” said Stark.“These students wake up at the crack of dawn and travel more than an hour and a half to get to the event site. I am encouraged that our graduate students, busy with classes and research, still take the time to vounteer. Like so many in the Columbia community who are involved with service efforts, our SEAS graduate students are not afraid to work hard to help bring a smile to the children and school staff who will benefit from their efforts.”

Each semester, the Engineering Graduate Student Council (EGSC) sponsors community service projects to encourage graduate students to become more involved with their community and to engage in learning outside of the classroom setting. For NewYork Cares Day, SEAS graduate students were assigned to P.S. 28,Warren Prep Science and Technology Institute, on Herkimer Street in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn.“We had a very productive day brightening the school environment by painting interior walls and stairwells, repainting the lines for games on the playground blacktop and cleaning and organizing classrooms and offices,” Stark said. “In addition, the EGSC team raised over $500 to assist NewYork Cares in their efforts to continue their programs and many volunteer opportunities throughout the year.”

The EGSC’s Spring service project will be another NewYork Cares project,“Hands on NewYork Day” in April, 2009, which will target NewYork City parks and gardens, playgrounds, community centers, and other public spaces to create a greener, cleaner city. Stark has issued a standing invitation to SEAS alumni to join with graduate student volunteers for future community service projects.To express your interest, contact Stark at 212-854-8930 or by e-mail at jrs2139@columbia.edu. To learn more about the New York Cares organization, visit their webpage at nycares.org.


Click photo for larger image