Date: Jul 01, 2009

Hofstra First Year Students Give Back As Part of Discovery Program

Annual Program Launches With The Class of 2013

Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY – Hofstra University first year students will give back to the surrounding community as part of the optional Discovery Program. The class of 2013 will be the first to experience this annual program which provides students with the opportunity to get acclimated to the campus early, make friends, connect with student leaders, participate in service projects and get a jump start on their transition to college.

The program, which is open to all first year students, is funded by The Jenzabar Foundation whose mission is to recognize and support the good works and humanitarian efforts of student leaders serving others across the global community. The Discovery Program will promote student leadership, social awareness and engagement and connection to Hofstra and the surrounding community.

“This program is a unique opportunity for our first year students to not only ease their transition to college but to also give back to the community they will soon call home for the school year,” said Director of the Discovery Program, Kim Rhyan. “I believe this experience will empower students to build lasting friendships, practice leadership skills, and connect to community through compassion and conservation.”

During the three day residential program, students will choose one of two paths: compassion or conservation.  As part of the compassion path, participants will gain understanding of various societal and socioeconomic issues and learn how to help others through acts of service in both the local and New York metropolitan area. If students choose the conservation path they will gain an understanding of what it means to preserve and protect the earth, and will explore the issues of energy and resource conservation and how they affect our society. They will have hands-on experiences that will allow them to make conscious decisions for aiding their environment and community.

"The Jenzabar Foundation strives to provide students and higher education institutions with the means to achieve their community service goals," said Executive Director of The Jenzabar Foundation John Beahm. "The Discovery Program at Hofstra aligns well with our vision to raise awareness of community needs and inspire students to get involved."

The program is part of a national trend in universities introducing community service and leadership to first year students. Universities such as Stanford, Harvard, Duke and the University of Pennsylvania, among others, have community service programs for first year students.
 
For more information on Hofstra’s Discovery Program please visit www.hofstra.edu/discovery .
For more information on The Jenzabar Foundation please visit http://www.thejenzabarfoundation.org/ICS/.

The Jenzabar Foundation issues grants to institutions of higher education and other charitable organizations with similarly aligned missions, and helps promote the activities of grant recipients within their communities and on a global level. The Jenzabar Foundation is a charitable and educational organization that received its initial funding from Jenzabar, Inc., but is now seeking financial support from the general public. Foundation grants are managed by the Foundation itself or through cooperating educational organizations. For more information about The Jenzabar Foundation, visit www.thejenzabarfoundation.org.

Hofstra University is a dynamic private institution where students can choose from about 150 undergraduate and more than 160 graduate programs in liberal arts and sciences, business; engineering; communication; education, health and human services;  and honors studies, as well as a School of Law. With a student-faculty ratio of 14-to-1, our professors teach small classes averaging 22 students that emphasize interaction, critical thinking and analysis. Hofstra offers a faculty whose highest priority is teaching excellence. The University also provides excellent facilities with state-of-the-art technology, extensive library resources and internship programs that match students’ interests and abilities with appropriate companies and organizations.  The Hofstra community is driven, dynamic and energetic, helping students find and focus their strengths to prepare them for a successful future.