Jessica Walters
  • Communication
  • Class of 2018
  • Springfield, OH

Walters Volunteers with Community Youth in Wittenberg's Ninth Annual Make a Difference Day

2014 Nov 12

For the past eight years, the Community Service Program has hosted a Halloween Festival in celebration of Make a Difference Day, but this year, Wittenberg student Jessica Walters made sure that local kids see college as fun, not frightening. Celebrating the 9th annual Make a Difference Day, the Community Service Program hosted the first ever Mini-Witt, a day for local youth to learn more about college life, on Saturday, Nov. 1.

"This year's Make a Difference Day focused on immersing the kids in the campus and engaging them in a variety of opportunities that are offered to a student who attends Wittenberg," said Director of Community Service Kristen Collier. "As they used their problem solving skills, expressing their creativity and just having fun, they also had a chance to talk one-on-one with the college students and ask them many questions about what is like to be in college."

This year more than 70 local youth in grades K-6 came to campus and collaborated with more than 40 Wittenberg students.

During the event, Mini-Witt students worked through several stations, where they had the opportunity to try their hand at Frisbee golf, perform a slimy science experiment with Scott Henry of the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery and read and make their own comic books thanks to Comic Town, which provided a book for each student to keep. At the art station, students also made their own mortarboard to wear during a mini graduation ceremony in Weaver Chapel.

"The best part of the day was seeing how many Wittenberg students came out to help make Mini-Witt enjoyable for all of our participants," said Community Service Coordinator Maggie Peale '17 from Covington, Ky. "We were so pleased with the turnout because having so many college students helping out gave all the kids a new perspective on college. They can see that it isn't just about hard work and dedication, but also passing on the light that they're given."

While many students volunteer off campus, Make a Difference Day brings children onto Wittenberg's campus, where they can feel part of the Wittenberg community. Wittenberg students annually contribute more than 40,000 hours of community service, which translates into more than $324,000 in donated time to the Greater Springfield area.

Wittenberg's efforts in the area of community engagement have been recognized nationally for five consecutive years, 2006-2010, and again in 2012, on the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for exemplary service efforts.