Steppin' Out As A Stepping Stone: After 27 Years, Baylor's Steppin' Out Student Organization Prepares For Another Abundant Day of Service in The Greater Waco Community

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Contact: Lori Fogleman, Director of Media Communications, (254) 710-6275
WACO, Texas (Nov. 7)--Since 1985, thousands of students at Baylor University have taken the initiative to spend a Saturday in the greater Waco community, serving agencies, families, churches and public areas as part of the bi-annual Steppin' Out service event.
This year, nearly 2,800 students from more than 100 organizations have registered to volunteer Saturday, Nov. 10, to work at 55 different sites with projects ranging from painting homes to reviving yards.
For the student leaders of Steppin' Out, the success of the bi-annual day of service is not measured by the number of volunteers or how many sites were covered, but by what students do after their tools have been collected and the Block Party winds down.
"I hope that students take advantage of Steppin' Out and use it as a stepping stone to serve in other capacities at Baylor as well as in the future," said Erika Sherhart, senior international business student from Dallas and Steppin' Out Director.
Following the service projects, volunteers and community members are invited to the annual Block Party from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Dewey Park, 925 N. Ninth St., for lunch, live music, crafts and games.
Baylor's inaugural Steppin' Out was held in the spring of 1985. At that time, it was a full week of events leading up to a full day of service. Beginning in 1989, as the event grew, the project became a one-day event during the fall and spring semesters. By 1993 Steppin' Out was chartered as an independent organization under the department of Student Activities. During the summer of 2012, Steppin' Out moved to its new home in the newly formed Office of Community Engagement & Service, an entity created to support and expand student engagement in the community.
Steppin' Out is just one of many programs that complement Baylor's ongoing effort to serve the local community through established volunteer programs. For more information about Baylor's involvement in local service opportunities, contact Erin Payseur, associate director for community-based learning, at 254-710-1736
by Rebecca Malzahn , student newswriter, (254) 710-6805
ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
Baylor University is a private Christian university and a nationally ranked research institution, characterized as having "high research activity" by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The university provides a vibrant campus community for approximately 15,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating university in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 11 nationally recognized academic divisions. Baylor sponsors 19 varsity athletic teams and is a founding member of the Big 12 Conference.