Stevens Receives Prestigious Community Service Award from Jostens and the NADIIIAA
HOBOKEN, N.J. (December 24, 2008) – On Tuesday, it was announced that Stevens Institute of Technology was a winner of the NADIIIAA/Jostens Community Service Award in the on-going project/activity category. The award, which covers the 2007-08 school year, is one of just three community service awards given by Jostens and the National Association of Division III Athletic Administrators each year and was given to Stevens because of the Duckling Program. The award will be presented on January 17, 2009 at the annual NCAA convention in Washington, D.C.
The awards program is co-sponsored by the NADIIIAA and Jostens and is intended to recognize the many contributions Division III student-athletes regularly make to their campuses and local communities. The winners this year were St. Mary’s University in the one-time project/activity category, York College in the array of projects/activities category, and Stevens in the on-going project/activity category. In addition to receiving commemorative trophies, the NADIIIAA and Jostens will make a $1,000 contribution to the general scholarship fund at each of these institutions.
During the 2007-08 academic year, Stevens student-athletes gave tirelessly of themselves to the local community through a wide array of programs. Duck teams hosted soccer/volleyball/lacrosse clinics, volunteered at the New York City Half-Marathon, ran events for the Hoboken and Bayonne communities, hosted the Coaches vs. Cancer Basketball Classic, held a fall lacrosse classic to honor fallen armed service heroes, participated in the Tunnel to Towers 5k Run/Walk, and a number of other events.
The most important project carried out by the department this past year, and the reason Stevens received this award, was the Stevens Duckling Program. Launched on October 17, 2007, the Duckling Program targets student-athlete involvement with the primary schools in Hoboken – Wallace, Calabro, and Connors. Following a very successful opening kickoff by the women’s soccer and field hockey teams with four fourth-grade classes at Wallace, the program continued to expand as the year went on. By May of 2008, nearly 180 student-athletes from 10 varsity teams (women’s soccer, field hockey, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, men’s tennis, women’s tennis, wrestling, men’s volleyball, women’s volleyball, and women’s lacrosse) were working with 11 different classrooms over three grade levels (third, fourth, and fifth) in three schools in the city of Hoboken. Furthermore, by year’s end, Stevens teams had made nearly 40 combined visits to classrooms throughout the city.
The Duckling Program was the brainchild of men’s volleyball student-athlete John Dennan and administrated by Assistant Athletic Director for Administration Brian Granata. Following his sophomore year, Dennan attended the NCAA National Student-Athlete Leadership Conference in Florida. At the convention, Dennan met a number of fine individuals from across the country who shared with him their ideals on community service. Dennan returned to Stevens motivated to develop a program that would bring Stevens student-athletes closer to the Hoboken community. Specifically, he was looking for a way for Stevens Athletics to give back while also making a positive impact on the lives of children in the area.
Clearly, Dennan was extremely successful as both the student-athletes at Stevens and the children and teachers at the elementary schools truly enjoyed the new program. In the early part of the 2008-09 school year, the program has already expanded beyond Hoboken and into Weehawken. Eight teams have started visits to four different schools and 11 more teams have visits planned over the next five months.
“We are thrilled and honored to receive this award,” said Stevens Director of Athletics Russell Rogers (Branchburg, N.J.). "Our student-athletes, coaches, and staff are dedicated towards serving the community around them. While recognition is not our motivation, it is nice that the NADIIIAA takes the time to honor all institutions who are deeply involved in community service. I also would like to point out the hard work of Assistant Athletic Director Brian Granata and student-athlete John Dennan who had the vision to make our Duckling Program a reality.”
In 2007, Stevens received an Award of Merit from Jostens and the NADIIIAA in the array of projects/activities category for the great variety and dedication shown by the entire athletic department to giving back to the community. Stevens earned Honorable Mention recognition in the one-time project/activity category in 2006 for Katrina related relief efforts, and in 2002, the Stevens won first-place in the one-time project/activity area. The Jostens/NADIIIAA awards were first given in 2002.
The NADIIIAA is an association comprised of athletics administrators from the nearly 450 institutions and 40 conferences competing at the NCAA Division III level. A primary purpose of the NADIIIAA is to encourage the continued development of athletics programs focused on the student-athlete and based on sound educational philosophy.
Minneapolis-based Jostens is a leading provider of products, programs and services that help people celebrate important moments, recognize achievements and build affiliation. The Company’s products include yearbooks, class rings, graduation products, school photography, employee and achievement awards, and products for athletics departments and their fans. Jostens is the exclusive sponsor of the NADIIIAA.
Please follow the link at the top of this release for more information on the Stevens Duckling Program and the countless other community service projects Stevens student-athletes have participated in.
