The Center for Leadership and Service’s first Social Impact Week begins today, offering a series of events to teach students how to address social issues.
There will be different events each day through Oct. 31, including documentary screenings, guest speakers and discussions on controversial topics such as gay marriage and anti-bullying.
Social Impact Week will focus on making students more socially responsible, said Angela Garcia, director for community engagement and service-learning for the center.
“Part of (being socially responsible) is understanding the social issues that face your community,” Garcia said.
Garcia said the center created Social Impact Week so different socially minded events can merge together around the same time.
Events will be hosted by departments and organizations such as the Bob Graham Center for Public Service, the Institute of Black Culture and the Baha’i Association.
Maddie McClinton, a 19-year-old UF elementary education sophomore, said she is looking forward to the two-day Gator Global Initiative conference.
“Hearing others’ passions reassures me there are individuals, even right here at UF, that will create a change for the better,” McClinton wrote in an email.
McClinton, the student director of ambassadors for the Center for Leadership and Service, said Social Impact Week is important to students because the events provide an opportunity for them to be educated on social issues.
A version of this story ran on page 4 on 10/16/2013 under the headline "Events encourage students to get social"
