°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê×ÊÁÏ¿â

It's not just academic when students participate in the undergraduate honors program at °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê×ÊÁÏ¿â Davis. A new component of the Davis Honors Challenge offers students the opportunity to make connections between the classroom and the real world as they help community organizations solve problems. About 20 students have participated since the service learning project was added to the honors program in January. Mandy Tedards, a sophomore majoring in communication and American Studies, was one of four students helping recruit volunteers for the Third & B Teen Center in Davis. They developed an information packet for prospective volunteers and successfully recruited 20 volunteers. Tedards says she took on a project because she wanted to be more involved in the community and was especially pleased she could learn while serving a community organization. "For me, that makes it even more important," says Tedards. "The groundwork we're laying is going to benefit the center for years to come." Another group of students is helping organize a student council and prepare a handbook on college access for a Christian school in West Sacramento. And other students have researched curriculum and begun to recruit volunteers for a university program offering garden tours to elementary students. Students, who earn academic credit, are required to prepare weekly journals about their projects, perform a minimum of 30 hours service and complete their projects. This year, more than 500 students are participating in the Davis Honors Challenge, which offers them more challenging course work, closer contacts with faculty and interaction with other highly motivated students.