"Engage for Change" is a year of service, advocacy, philanthropy and education around a single theme for social action.   The idea originated with a group of students who wanted to pool their energy and resources around the same issue, instead of working separately. The effort now includes faculty, staff and community members.

The theme for the 2009-10 academic year is "Healthy People, Healthy Communities." We will focus on elements that make-up a healthy community and work towards eliminating the gaps that exist for some groups in terms of access to health care resources.

According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, "a healthy community is one that embraces the belief that health is more than merely and absence of disease; a healthy community includes those elements that enable people to maintain a high quality of life and productivity...A healthy community offers access to health care services that focus on both treatment and prevention for all members of the community." Currently, however, disparities exist as particular groups of individuals do not have access to such resources.

We will strengthen and lengthen our reach to the community by working to equalize these disparities through thoughtful cooperation on and off campus.