Every College of Charleston Living/Learning Community participated in charitable events this holiday season. The Block on Bull Living/Learning Communities collected more than $2,000 for HALOS to provide gifts for abused and neglected children involved with Charleston County Department of Social Services. Barnes & Noble at College of Charleston donated matching items for each gift the students collected. The Environmental and Outdoor House presented the most money to HALOS.

The McConnell Residence Hall Living/Learning Communities collected more than 150 teddy bears for Debi’s Kids and were invited to the December 4, 2010 Stingrays hockey game to present the donations. The most teddy bears were collected by The Arts Living/Learning Community.

Living/Learning Communities at the College of Charleston are growing in popularity. They are purposeful attempts to integrate in-class learning with out-of-class experiences. Students who participate in Living/Learning Communities have similar interests and want to participate in extra-curricular events that connect them with each other and community organizations.

The Block on Bull Living/Learning Communities are the Women’s and Gender Studies House, Outdoor Education and Environmental Awareness House, La Maison Francais, Casa Hispanica, and the Health Professional House. McConnell Residence Hall Living/Learning Communities are Pre-Professional Health, International, Communication, and The Arts.

Living/Learning Communities at the College of Charleston were launched in 2008 and 2010 was the first year that McConnell Residence Hall was composed entirely of Living/Learning Communities. A main goal of the Communities is to support all ages of residents in their extra-curricular learning with themed academic and social programming that helps students develop relationships with each other and faculty, helping them learn critical skills like studying, coping and critical thinking, and to engage the students in the life of the campus and community.

Students in the Living/Learning Communities are already looking for charities to support in spring 2011.

For more information, contact Bruce Fleming at 843.953.6310.