Wartburg College’s Community Builders’ adult volunteers have received the 2014 Partnership Award from Iowa Campus Compact.

Campus Compact’s Engaged Campus Awards recognize individuals and groups for their work toward the organization’s mission of deepening and strengthening campus civic and community engagement.

Community Builders brings together Wartburg leadership students, Waverly-Shell Rock and St. Paul's Lutheran School sixth-graders and a committed group of community-minded adult volunteers, most of whom are retired, to discuss and share what it takes to build a sense of local and global community and the value of doing so. The program began more than 13 years ago to address a perceived community need of greater intergenerational engagement. 

About 70 community members have volunteered with Community Builders since its inception more than 13 years ago.

Zak Montgomery, assistant professor of Spanish, earned an honorable mention for the Scholar Award, in part for his work with George Washington Carver Academy in Waterloo. Montgomery created the service-learning program “Reconsidering the American Dream and U.S. Latino Culture,” connecting sixth-grade English-language learner students with Wartburg students.

William Soesbe, assistant professor of education, earned an honorable mention for the Mission Award. Among other things, Soesbe and his students have worked closely with Retrieving Freedom Inc., a Waverly-based organization dedicated to training and providing service dogs to military veterans and autistic children.

Wartburg seniors Kaitlin McElroy of Ottumwa and Chantal Knepper of Williamsburg earned honorable mentions in the mission category for their work with service trips and other campus leadership.

Iowa Campus Compact is a coalition of college and university presidents devoted to fulfilling the public and civic purposes of higher education.