After two years of hard work, Feb. 22 was a day to celebrate the accomplishments of Wittenberg students, faculty, staff and community partners involved in an innovative project titled "Sowing Seeds of Servant Leadership: A Campus-Wide Integration of Service-Learning, Social Justice and Spirituality."

Spearheaded by Kristen Collier, director of community service, and Rachel Tune, campus pastor, the project created an opportunity for faculty and students to connect spirituality and social justice in the context of service-learning initiatives. More than 200 students contributed thousands of service hours through 12 academic courses, two service immersion weekends and four student organization projects, all funded by a $50,000 Youth Leadership Initiative grant from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans.

"It's not the dollars alone that made this grant project a success," Tune said. "Combined with the passion and dedication of Wittenberg faculty and staff, our students and our community partners, these dollars truly helped to sow seeds of leadership - through which lives have been transformed, relationships have been strengthened and bridges of understanding have been built - to shape a community that cares about all and works to bring justice within it."