Involvement & Service
Marymount is proud to be known as Arlington’s University! We contribute significantly to the economic development of Arlington County through nearly 600 employees who live, work, play, vote and pay millions of dollars in taxes in Virginia, as well as 4,000-plus students who call Marymount their home. We also demonstrate our core value of service to others every day, as our University’s Saints Service Network has partnered with more than 55 community-based organizations and our students, faculty and staff spend over 16,000 hours per year volunteering in the local area.
See below how our Saints are making a difference!
Addressing Food Insecurity Marymount’s Food for Thought club works to alleviate food insecurity and promote urban agriculture in Arlington. Student volunteers from a variety of disciplines have created an on-campus “Plot Against Hunger” garden and donate the produce grown there to the campus community and the greater Arlington region. Members also collaborate with the St. Andrew’s Church garden, with proceeds donated to local food pantries, and Marymount’s Dining Services, with bagged lunches donated to PathForward (formerly known as the Arlington Street People’s Assistance Network).
Engaging in Service through AmeriCorps The Saints Service Network has been awarded a grant from the K2H Civic Futures AmeriCorps Program, furthering the University’s commitment to service. Through the program, an AmeriCorps member will implement civic engagement opportunities for students at K-12 schools or community-based organizations in partnership with Marymount. Click here for more info on the inaugural AmeriCorps member at Marymount, Kristen Netter.
Fostering Community Bonds through Athletics Every summer, Marymount hosts youth camp programs for baseball, basketball, lacrosse, soccer, softball and volleyball players, supporting anywhere from 50 to 200 campers from the Arlington community per week. Marymount Athletics also rents out its facilities to a number of groups from the Arlington community, which can practice and compete in the Converse Family Fieldhouse, Recreational Gym, Lee Center Pool and Converse Family Field.
Fulfilling the Needs of Local Employers Marymount’s Center for Career Development organizes targeted career fairs that engage a variety of employers and community members. As universities nationwide transition from large-scale career fairs and navigate towards a more tailored approach that features smaller career fair formats with industry-specific employers, Marymount has hosted specific fairs for Nonprofits & Service, Business & Technology and Creative career fields. These provide Marymount students with the opportunity to network, connect and speak with employers about available jobs, internships and professional development opportunities.
Hope Multiplied The Saints Service Network initiated a new partnership with Hope Multiplied and its Read Aloud program at Randolph Elementary School in Arlington. With both small group and individual components on a monthly basis, Read Aloud students see improvement in reading comprehension, fluency and phonemic awareness skills. Most importantly, volunteers see an increase in the students’ desire to read as their skills improve and their confidence soars.
Leading the Way on Falls PreventionAs the recipient of two federal grants totaling over $1 million, Marymount has laid the foundation for a falls prevention infrastructure across Northern Virginia. Faculty researchers at the University have played a critical role in training more than 475 people to lead evidence-based falls prevention programs in the area, in addition to holding nearly 200 falls prevention workshops and establishing the Northern Virginia Falls Prevention Alliance.
Partnering with Global Changemakers Marymount is a partner with REACH for Uganda, an organization that aims to improve the quality of life for community members in rural, eastern Uganda and help them realize their potential through education, health care and community development. This partnership has involved many trips to Uganda for Marymount faculty and students, and has even led to a prestigious award from the Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship Program.
Proactive Service with Physical TherapyMarymount’s Physical Therapy program spearheads numerous service learning opportunities and community outreach efforts. These include a campus-led Go Baby Go program, with volunteers modifying ride-on cars for students with disabilities and working with middle and high school students to make these cars part of their STEM curriculum; an annual service trip to Latin America to provide physical therapy services to underserved populations abroad, and much more!
Raising Awareness of Neurodiversity Marymount’s Community-Engaged Design course partnered with Melwood to seek solutions to challenges that face neurodivergent individuals in the workplace. The topic was selected as the theme of the University’s annual Design-athon, a service-learning initiative in which Interior Design students use their talents to promote the greater good.
Remote Area Medical Clinics Nursing and Physical Therapy students regularly put their knowledge and skills to the test at Remote Area Medical (RAM) clinics in the national capital region and further afield in areas like Appalachia, where they provide free medical, dental, vision and physical therapy services to the impoverished, isolated and underserved.
Sharing the Spirit of Service Spirit of Service scholars work closely with the Saints Service Network to develop long-lasting partnerships with agencies addressing a variety of community needs including food insecurity, homelessness, educational support for at-risk youth and social justice initiatives. As leaders and mentors who exemplify what it means to Learn with Purpose, Spirit of Service scholars collaborate with each other to generate and share creative and meaningful experiences through volunteerism and serving the greater good.
Using Education to Give Back Marymount’s 3E Camp Literacy Lab is a premier opportunity for Marymount undergraduate and graduate teacher candidates to enhance their teaching capacity in meaningful ways by giving children the confidence to succeed in STEM, English literacy and social skills.
The University also supports The ARC of Northern Virginia through a biannual workshop series. Marymount Education students plan and coordinate activities to support young adults with disabilities by strengthening their social, employment, recreational and communication skills. Meanwhile, parents and caregivers attend presentations on social security, setting up living trusts, employment, housing and more.
Volunteer ArlingtonEvery year, the Saints Service Network partners with Volunteer Arlington for a countywide MLK Day of Service event. This past year, we partnered with Bridges to Independence, a nonprofit organization that leads individuals and families out of homelessness and into stable, independent futures.
