ACES Overview

Everyone can be great, because everyone can serve.
­ Martin Luther King, Jr.

ACES stands for Academic Civic Engagement through Service. We want students to be motivated to become citizens of a community and to make a positive impact on that community. We also want to bring what we learn from the classroom to our service learning and bring our service learning to the classroom.

Our campus club (called the ACES club) is focused on doing service activities together as a group. We sponsor projects throughout the year that encourage all campus participation and awareness of social issues.

Opportunities Available

We work with many different agencies within the community. We work with students to place them in an agency that is closely associated with their major area of study or, if they are unsure of their major, we will place the student in a few different sites so they can choose the kind of experience they want to have. We also place students who need to complete some service learning for classes and orientation.

Financial Assistance

Scholarships that will pay tuition and books are available to students. The requirements of the scholarship are:

• You must be enrolled in at least 12 hours on the Arkansas City campus.
  
• You will serve and log a total of 85 hours of service each semester.
  
• Additionally, you are required to write for two hours a week about your learning experiences and do some “reflective” journaling.
  
• At the end of each semester, students will do a presentation about their service learning, either to a class that they have or to a group of faculty members. We want to be proud of what we are doing and learning, and we want to be of service to others through education.
  

Service Learning and your future

We work with each student individually to complete an Individualized Service Learning Plan. Through ACES, you can be placed in a service opportunity that will allow you to learn more about your major area, do things that you have always wanted to do, or you can do different service projects to “try on” different hats.
Our office provides a central location where employers inquire about getting volunteers. We also provide follow up with your placement to determine your level and their level of satisfaction with our program. We have many opportunities for students to become involved.

We keep a portfolio of all student reflection logs, total hours, evaluations and letters of recommendation. As you build your portfolio, you build an impressive record of being an informed, active participant in your community. These are great assets as you prepare your resume.