Domestic and International NOVA Students Volunteer at NYC Marathon

On Sunday, November 5, domestic and international students from NOVA joined forces to volunteer at the New York City Marathon. The 47 students included 27 international exchange students attending Northern Virginia Community College through the U.S. Department of State’s Community College Initiative (CCI) Program, as well as 20 domestic students. In close collaboration, the CCI Program and the Office of Student Leadership and Engagement helped create a memorable experience for NOVA students eager to serve their community and foster international friendships, emphasizing the College’s commitment to global citizenship and cultural exchange. Through their active participation in the New York City Marathon volunteering initiative, these students not only supported the event but also gained valuable teamwork skills, cultural understanding and a sense of fulfillment by giving back to society.

With students and staff, NOVA sponsored a total of 53 volunteers for the marathon. The goal of this joint service-learning opportunity was to promote people-to-people exchanges through volunteering, particularly by developing opportunities for domestic students to engage with international exchange participants at NOVA and through the event in New York, which is also sponsored by the U.S. Department of State.

The international and domestic students took part in this annual event by volunteering at Fluid Station Mile 6, passing out water to runners and cleaning up after the event. The New York City Marathon has come a long way from its first running in 1970 to become the world’s biggest and most popular 26.2-mile road race. The event draws 50,000 participants, representing more than 120 countries, every year. More than 10,000 volunteers support the runners from the beginning of their journey at the start line to the moment they are reunited with their families at the finish. More than 2 million spectators line the route to cheer the runners on.

This is a unique opportunity facilitated by the U.S. Department of State to support international exchange visitors’ experience of the American value of volunteerism, with the added thrill of watching 50,000 runners from 120 countries participate in the world’s largest marathon. For the first time ever, NOVA incorporated domestic students with exchange visitors to help support the foreign policy objective of people-to-people exchanges, allowing the students to learn from one another while navigating a large-scale service-learning opportunity. Through their volunteer service, students from various backgrounds became part of a nationwide celebration of hope and endurance. During their time in the city, students also visited the United Nations building, a symbol of peace and collaboration, as well as the 9/11 Memorial and Museum.  

The experience allowed students to enhance their understanding of different cultures, promote personal growth, and foster a sense of unity and empathy. Volunteering with people from different backgrounds also encouraged the students to interact with and learn from each other. Such experiences lead to lasting impressions and positively impact students to think critically and advocate for more inclusive, diverse communities.

Background: The CCI Program started in 2007. As one of three consortia, NOVA began its administration of the CCI Program in 2010 with four CCC partners hosting just 49 students. NOVA and its CCC partners have since hosted almost half of the nearly 4,000 CCI participants, with over 350 CCI participants having passed through NOVA’s hallways since 2010. Due to its institutional capacity, leadership of the CCC, and experience with administering and implementing exchange opportunities, NOVA became the sole administering body of the program in 2016. In close collaboration with the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) at the U.S. Department of State, the program has expanded significantly. The CCI Program is the only large-scale exchange program focused on community college students, and NOVA is the only community college nationwide to lead an exchange program of its size.

For further information, please contact CCI Program Director Leeza Fernand at LFernand@nvcc.edu and/or the NOVA CCI team at CCCIP@nvcc.edu and the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at eca-press@state.gov.

Submitted by:
Leeza Fernand, CCI Program Director, LFernand@nvcc.edu