This week is Civic Engagement Week at Washington State University. Each day from April 19-25 will be filled with numerous civic engagement and service opportunities.

Monday through Friday, the Center for Civic Engagement (CCE) will have a table in the CUB where it will award prizes, host a photo booth, and discuss upcoming civic engagement events.

The week began with the Greek Door-to-Door Food Drive yesterday, which the CCE partnered with the Interfraternity and Panhellenic Councils to plan. Pullman community members were asked to prepare a bag of non-perishable and canned goods to be picked up by Greek students during the day. Donations are also being accepted from April 21-23 between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. at Dissmore’s IGA and Walmart.

The donations will be given to the Community Action Center Food Bank, which provides help to those who are in need of nutritional food. Now that holiday donations have started running out, a food drive was in order, said Kassi Rolin, CCE student engagement coordinator.

On Tuesday, there will be a Public Square event held in Butch’s Den at noon. Participants will discuss water use in Washington, motivated by the drought in California. They will raise the question of whether or not a similar disaster could occur in Washington and what can be done to prevent it.

Some of the CCE’s regular projects will be taking place throughout the week. Among these are projects with Orphan Acres, a horse rescue organization, and Recycle Outreach Campus to Community (ROCC). ROCC works with Harvest House, a rehabilitative program for adults with mental illnesses, to provide clothes for members. These clothes are then sorted by the BOOST Collaborative.

“Everything connects, all the organizations support each other,” said Roy Puchalski, CCE project leader.

In addition to their regularly scheduled activities, the CCE will host environmental service projects; some specifically designated to celebrate Earth Day. The Palouse-Clearwater Environmental Institute, Backyard Harvest, WSU Organic Farm, and the Palouse Conservation District are helping put on the Earth Day projects.

The ASWSU Environmental Sustainability Alliance (ESA) will be holding their annual Earth Day Fair from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on the Glenn Terrell Mall. At the fair, students will learn about Earth Day events and the environmental sustainability efforts of student and community groups.

On Thursday, the Leadership and Engagement Awards of Distinction (LEAD) event will take place at 5 p.m. in the Compton Union Building Senior Ballroom to honor WSU student leaders and their mentors.

The ceremony will begin with the Gallery of Leadership, in which student leadership projects will be on display. The event will also include the acknowledgement of the current ASWSU and GPSA officers and the inauguration of next year’s officers.

Following this, WSU President Elson Floyd will present the President’s Award for Leadership to awardees in the categories of student, student group, faculty or staff, and community organization. These awards are bestowed upon those who have demonstrated exceptional leadership and service, and aided in the development of student leadership and engagement.

The week will conclude with Campus on the Run on Saturday. University Recreation and the CCE will host both the traditional 5k race, as well as the new Campus on the Run Obstacle Dash. The proceeds from both events will go to Backyard Harvest, which connects low-income individuals to local farmers who provide fresh produce.

Civic Engagement Week is the conclusion of a year full of service and a commemoration of volunteers who have participated in the CCE’s daily projects.

“It’s a way to celebrate all the good work that students have done over the year,” said Erin McIlraith, CCE marketing and communication coordinator. So far in the past school year, 56,800 service hours have been logged by the CCE, represented by 5,827 students, according to the CCE.

For more information, visit http://cce.wsu.edu/.