An Invisible, Annual $7B from Higher Ed to the Outside Community from Service Learning. Wow!

So, how often do you hear someone thank higher education for the $7B+ of volunteer work that comes from Campus Compact-related colleges and universities each year?

Campus Compact-an organization founded at Brown more than two decades ago to encourage college students to become more active citizens-reports a 60 percent increase in service participation over the last five years, and more than $7 billion worth of volunteer work coming out of its nearly 1,100 member schools annually.

"More students are doing service because they firmly believe that collective action is the best way to get out there and accomplish something," explains Campus Compact President Maureen Curley, who says that 98 percent of Campus Compact schools now offer service learning courses, and that 86 percent have created their own community service or service learning offices.