Participate in Volunteer & Learning Activities 

365 Days of Learning and Service encourages students, faculty, and staff to participate in learning opportunities and volunteer activities that expand knowledge and increase understanding about a relevant societal issue. Led by the Associate Dean of Student Success and Inclusive Engagement and a steering committee, the initiative offers an in-depth examination of a specific topic. In our inaugural year we studied housing insecurity. This past year, the theme was the multifaceted topic of sustainability. During the 2024-2025 academic year, our focus is on mental health awareness.  

Join us in our annual exploration of important topics as we present a range of events and activities such as panel discussions, guest speaker presentations, special events, community service opportunities and more, as we strive to better mental health issues, and how we can improve our own mental health and that of those around us.   

The Mission

The 365 Days of Learning & Service initiative is intentionally designed to bring students, faculty, and staff together to examine a contemporary relevant issue facing our communities, and to go beyond research and study by putting into practice new knowledge acquired throughout the year and facilitate ongoing positive change.

The Approach

Our steering committee, which includes faculty, staff, and student representation, works with the Dean and Radow College to identify a contemporary, relevant issue for year-long deep study – this 2024-2025 academic year, it is mental health awareness.  The committee works with Associate Dean of Student Success and Inclusive Engagement to present events and opportunities throughout the academic year to examine the issue. Components of the program vary from year to year, and may include a speaker series, service-learning classes, support for faculty to develop teaching modules, student creative design competition, film showcases, and book club discussion groups. Through this initiative, Radow College develops and strengthens relationships with institutional partners in our communities, and creates opportunities for students, faculty, and staff to develop into leaders who drive positive change long after the year of study comes to an end. 

Mental Health Awareness Program: Launched September 10th, 2024

Each year Radow College holds an event to announce the topic 365 Days of Learning & Service will study during the academic year. The 2024 launch featured remarks from Dean Kaukinen, experts in the field from within Radow College, as well as from the greater Atlanta community. This year, we are examining many aspects of mental health. To see the launch event, watch the video below. 

Why Mental Health Awareness

A paper cutout of a human head with "Mental Health" and related words inside the brain, surrounded by crumpled paper on a dark background.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, “one in five U.S. adults live with a mental illness (57.8 million in 2021).” When looking at the breakdown of their data, 33.7% of young adults between the ages of 18–25 is experiencing some kind of mental health challenge. This statistic alone is reason enough for 365 Days of Learning & Service to focus on mental health as the deep-dive issue for the 2023-2024 academic year. Mental health issues impact our primary reason for being at Radow College every day – our students. By examining the causes, understanding the impacts, connecting to support systems, and erasing the stigma attached to mental illness, we can find ways to mitigate impacts and better support our students. And it is not just students, when 20% of adults deal with a mental health issue every day, it is essential we pay attention to our faculty and staff, too.

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