Who We Are

The Center for Public Service is an academic support office established by Pacific Lutheran University in 1993 to coordinate, encourage, strengthen and honor all initiatives for service at PLU. The Center advances the university’s mission to empower students for lives of thoughtful inquiry, service, leadership and care—for other persons, for the community, and for the earth. Throughout this work, the Center celebrates reflective service as a rich source of enlightenment and spiritual growth that creates lifelong learners with a sense of commitment, care, meaning and purpose in the world.

What We Do

The Center for Public Service focuses on Service-Learning, Community Partnerships, and Resources and Training.

Three emphases are central to the Center’s work: advocacy and support for service and service-learning; development of strong community partnerships, and availability of resources and training. These inform the full range of its activities as well as each of its primary, directly-administered programs: Service-Learning, the Volunteer Center, and Community Work Study. The Center connects PLU students, faculty and staff in partnership with the community to serve the community’s needs, encouraging critical reflection on all service, from the challenging inquiry of academic service-learning to thoughtful discussion and creative expression around volunteer and community outreach projects.