(Sept. 14, 2009) About 27 University of Colorado Denver students from the fall 2009 freshman class dedicated Saturday morning, Sept. 12, to cleaning up the Auraria Campus. UC Denver’s First-Year Seminar courses incorporate a Service Learning component as part of the university’s goal to help students transition to college by providing hands-on learning in addition to traditional classroom experiences. The service learning component also teaches the importance of community engagement. 

The students applied what they are learning in their classes regarding community engagement outside the classroom. Students began the day by going on a historical tour of the Auraria Campus to learn about the significance of the area. A smaller group took an architectural survey of the campus. Then the students painted several recycling bins located around campus. Students also engaged in a general campus cleanup consisting of picking up and disposing of trash.