Centenary gears up for college-wide day of service at The Big Event
SHREVEPORT, LA — The Big Event, a national student-led day of service, has been a Centenary College spring tradition for more than a decade. Centenary students, faculty, staff, and community members will gather this year on Saturday, April 2, for service on campus and in the College’s Highland neighborhood.
“While participating in Big Event, Centenary students come together to help our neighbors in the Highland community,” said Centenary student Tori Sparks, who will graduate in May. “Centenary highlights the importance of community engagement and Big Event is one of the opportunities where students can serve the community in meaningful ways.”
The Big Event concept originated at Texas A&M University in 1982 and spread to several other college campuses, including Centenary. Students work on projects that can strengthen connections between Centenary and its neighbors in Shreveport’s Highland area. Centenary volunteers assist Highland residents at their homes with basic home improvement and landscaping services such as planting, removing trash and other debris, raking leaves, and removing vines.
Volunteers will also complete larger projects at several other sites in the neighborhood, including the Highland Center, the Centenary Community Garden, the Highland Community Garden, and local parks.
"The Big Event allows students to build relationships with the surrounding community,” said Jessica Cordova, Centenary class of 2023. “The focus that Centenary has on community engagement is one that helps all of us work towards positive change.”
For more information about the Big Event 2022, contact Sarah McCall, Assistant Director of Community and Civic Engagement smccall@centenary.edu.