Service Opportunities for Students

Service Opportunities for Students is the Savannah College of Art and Design's student-led community service initiative. Student service coordinators facilitate programs that serve local communities while offering students opportunities to gain valuable life skills. SCAD students work with local agencies in a spirit of cooperation while learning the importance of networking, recruiting, project planning, decision-making, promotion, delegating responsibilities and more. Some programs include:

• As part of a volunteer project with Service Opportunities for Students, SCAD photography student Erika Friedlander helps paint children's faces at the Memorial Health Neonatal Family Reunion.

• Alternative Spring Break: This is a community-service road trip during SCAD's spring break during which SCAD students volunteer their time to help meet needs in another community. Past ASB groups have traveled to locations including New Orleans; Miami; Cherokee, N.C.; Washington, D.C.; Caretta, W.V.; and Ocean Springs, Miss.
• Community Art Education: Art Education offers students the opportunity to share the skills they learn at SCAD with area elementary, middle and high school students. The program opens its door to all SCAD students, faculty and staff and encourages faculty to use provided services to promote service learning on campus.
• Book Buddies: Book Buddies is a mentoring and reading program in which SCAD students meet weekly with children from Garrison Elementary School, East Broad Elementary School, Union Mission, and Frank Callen Boys and Girls Club.

• SCAD students Elise Fornell (center) and Tierney Moses (right) create theatrical masks for Memorial Health patients as part of SOS' Healing through Art program.

• Deli Project: The Deli Project is a community-service program that provides support to Savannah's local charitable meal distribution agencies. The group regularly works with Kid's Cafe (Wheaton and Liberty streets); Old Savannah City Mission (2414 Bull St.); the Salvation Army (3100 Montgomery St.); and Social Apostolate (Liberty and Price streets).
• Habitat for Humanity: Habitat for Humanity is an international organization that exists to offer safe and affordable housing to low-income families. SOS works with the Coastal Empire chapter to offer regular workdays. During these workdays, students gets hands-on experience building a house from the ground up.
• Students for a Better Environment: In addition to promoting recycling and conservation on campus, SBE organizes environmentally based service projects. SBE regularly participates in beach clean-ups, tree plantings, and other service and educational programs.