UHD Day of Service Success!
GatorServe Volunteers Take the Win Over Garden Growth
Saturday, Sept. 10, UHD’s GatorServe volunteers turned out in force to revitalize landscaping and gardens at Northline Park as well as at Durkee and Farias Early Childhood Center elementaries as part of the National Day of Service.
UHD President Loren J. Blanchard kicked off the event at the Welcome Ceremony. Speaking to the group of Gators on the spirit of volunteerism at UHD, Blanchard noted that volunteering is just part of the makeup of UHD students and alumni, including UHD alumna District H City Council Member Karla Cisneros.
Cisneros also welcomed the crowd, commenting that Mariachi Los Caimanes’ rendition of the National Anthem was the loveliest she had ever heard, and thanking the volunteers for their time and effort on behalf of the community.
Volunteers had their work cut out for them, undertaking massive flowerbed weeding projects at both schools and trimming trees at Northline Park.
Sponsored by UHD’s Center for Community Engagement & Service Learning (CCESL), service projects are intended to educate UHD students on the importance of community engagement.
GatorServe projects are held twice a year, on Martin Luther King Jr. Day and 9/11 Day, both of which are National Service Days. To learn more about service opportunities at UHD, visit the CCESL webpage.
The University of Houston-Downtown (UHD) is the second-largest university in Houston and has served the educational needs of the nation’s fourth-largest city since 1974. As one of four distinct public universities in the University of Houston System, UHD is a comprehensive, four-year university led by President Loren J. Blanchard. Annually, UHD educates approximately 14,000 students, boasts more than 66,000 alumni, and offers 45 bachelor’s degrees, 12 master’s degrees, and 19 online programs within four colleges: Marilyn Davies College of Business, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, College of Public Service, and College of Sciences and Technology. UHD has one of the lowest tuition rates in Texas.
U.S. News and World Report ranked UHD among the nation’s Best Online Bachelor’s Programs for Applied Administration and Best Online Master’s Programs in Criminal Justice, as well as a Top Performer in Social Mobility. The Wall Street Journal/College Pulse ranked UHD one of the best colleges in the U.S. for its 2024 rankings, with notable distinctions: No. 1 for diversity (tied) and No. 3 for student experience. The University is designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution, a Minority-Serving Institution, and a Military Friendly School. For more information on the University of Houston-Downtown, visit uhd.edu.
