Welding students at Raritan Valley Community College’s Workforce Training Center are engaged in a service-learning project that not only helps a community partner, but also provides them with valuable, hands-on experience in the trade.
Under the guidance of an instructor, the students—two classes from RVCC and one from Bound Brook High School—are applying their welding skills to repair the lift on Raritan Valley Habitat for Humanity’s donation truck. The nonprofit organization “helps families build and improve places to call home,” according to information from the group.
The students are engaged in the service-learning project through the Pray Family Center for Service Learning and Civic Engagement at RVCC. The initiative, which is scheduled to be completed by December, aligns with the college’s commitment to providing students with career-ready skills and fostering a spirit of community service.
“This project is an exceptional opportunity for our students to see the real-world application of their skills,” said Ariel Curet, lead instructor, Advance Manufacturing/Welding. By participating in the service-learning project, “they will not only develop their welding proficiency, but also learn the value of giving back to their community.”
Students will be responsible for utilizing key learning components in welding for a real-world application. The project aims to provide needed restoration to the truck that is used to pick up donations for the ReStore in Manville, which serves local residents.
“The donation truck is essential to our daily operations at the ReStore,” said Mariusz Siwiec, Assistant Manager at the Raritan Valley Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Manville. “This partnership with RVCC ensures that we can continue to collect donations safely and efficiently, supporting our mission to help more families achieve affordable homeownership.”
RVCC’s nationally recognized Service Learning Program, which is part of the Pray Family Center for Service Learning and Civic Engagement, enables students to use community service as part of their academic coursework and receive credit for the experience. Through involvement in service learning and civic engagement activities, students are not only helping themselves, but they are also helping others.
Annually, RVCC students provide service to more than 250 community organizations in Somerset and Hunterdon counties, donating the economic equivalent of over $1 million in service to numerous organizations and their clients. In a five-year period, students have contributed the economic equivalent of over $5,000,000 to the community, helping the college gain national recognition.
From nonprofits to schools to government agencies, students serve a variety of organizations that include public schools, literacy centers, nursing homes, municipal offices, food pantries, environmental centers and farms, as well as homeless, domestic violence, and animal shelters. Students learn about important community issues while helping diverse populations. Students provide assistance without financial cost, helping the organization improve services to their clients and the community.
About Raritan Valley Community College
Raritan Valley College, located in Branchburg, offers approximately 90 associate degrees and certificates, as well as career training and professional development courses. For further information, go to raritanval.edu.
