Whittington & Associates, LLC

News Release

Carpenter's Shop After-School Program Selected as Service Learning Site for JU

Jacksonville, Fla. (Sept. 30, 2010) - The Carpenter's Shop Center, a nonprofit agency that provides after-school and summer school for young people in Arlington, has been selected as a new site for the Jacksonville University (JU) Service-Learning Program this fall.

Program Director Dr. Laura Chambers says all JU undergraduates are required to complete 50 hours of service-learning to graduate. Students assist nonprofit agencies at no charge to gain hands-on experience in the community.

“We've worked with The Carpenter's Shop in the past, with our students serving as volunteers during summer camp and after-school programs,” Dr. Chambers said. “The Carpenter's Shop will give our students in the service-learning program, especially those who plan to work with youth after they graduate, offering them a great, real-world experience in working with kids on a day-to-day basis.”

Additionally, students can earn 25 hours of credit towards their graduation requirement for successfully completing a Service-Learning course. This year, JU is partnering service-learning courses from Humanities, Sociology, Education and Fine Art. JU students will take what they learn in class and apply it by hosting course-related, child-appropriate activities for kids at the Carpenter's Shop. “Nearly every survey points to the need to keep kids occupied and engaged, especially in those critical after-school hours,” said Cheryl Wilder, the Executive Director of The Carpenter's Shop Center. “With JU's help, we'll have more volunteers - which will translate into a more enriching experience for our children and teenagers.”

The Carpenter's Shop Center's After-School program provides academic support for children from Kindergarten through Eighth Grade (age five to 15) and provides reading labs and tutoring for children. Enrichment activities include chorus, dance, plays, and music lessons, and special club activities.

For more information about Jacksonville University's Service-Learning Department at JU Service-Learning Center at 904-256-7236.

The Carpenter's Shop Center, located at 1601 University Blvd., was founded in 2006 and offers a after-school enrichment program and a one-day a week Survival Kids program during the school year, along with summer camp, for kids age five to 15. The center also offers the “Born Free Women's Program” every Wednesday evening. For more information, contact 904-226-2056 or visit www.thecarpentersshopcenter.org.

Media Contact: Ron Whittington (904-563-0402)