Heidi Wickersham, PBH Department Admin
By Robert Julien, Service to Society Fellow
Rakesh Khurana, Dean of Harvard College, joined Gene Corbin, Assistant Dean of Harvard College for Public Service, and student leaders from 50 public service programs supported by the Phillips Brooks House Association (PBHA) and Public Service Network (PSN), at a brief reception to present public service programs with their 2014-2015 President’s Public Service Fund (PPSF) Award notification letters. Harvard College is providing over $150,000 of funding to support the vital efforts of these student-led public service programs.
The reception began at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, September 12th, in the Parlor Room of the Phillips Brooks House. Dean Khurana addressed the group of students gathered together in support of public service on campus. He shared his thoughts on the mission of Harvard College and how public service enriches the intellectual environment and helps foster more conscientious human beings capable of addressing and erasing systemic social issues affecting society. He indicated that these public service programs are essential in Harvard’s ability to “continue to bring down its gates, building a community of inclusivity not exclusivity where we can serve as citizen leaders giving back to others in need.”
Throughout the reception, the Parlor Room was filled with an air of enthusiasm as student leaders briefly described the important work of their respective programs. Everyone gathered at this event is clearly driven by the urgency for social justice in the communities they serve. Dean Corbin states “These are the students who lead important public service programs that create positive change in the communities of Greater Boston and Cambridge. We are incredibly proud of them and pleased to support their inspiring efforts.”