This Sunday afternoon, the staff of Community Based Learning and Volunteer Service programs at St. Lawrence University are hosting local families in Leithead Fieldhouse for Sunday Funday. The event will consist of activities such as face painting and balloon animals, among others.   

Allie Liu is the chief clerk of the CBL office. She oversees the social media coordinators and manages the office as a whole. Liu explained how the event used to be hosted by the Outing Club, but this year is the first year that it will be entirely run by the CBL and VS staff. “The main point of Sunday Funday is to bring together the community and our SLU students,” she said, “by doing so, students can feel fulfilled and engaged in the local community.”  

Liu says that the main goal of the CBL program is to create a hands-on learning experience for students. The program is partnered with several different sites in the community, where students go to volunteer as part of their CBL courses. “CBL is an experiential learning opportunity for students,” says Liu.    

Alexis Jablonski, an assistant director of campus activities and residential engagement, worked as an intern for the CBL office last year. When she worked on the CBL staff, she played a big role in organizing Sunday Funday. “The CBL office provides students with an opportunity to complete an academic course with a component of civic engagement and critical thinking,” says Jablonski.   

Abby Lateer ‘24 is a social media coordinator for the CBL office, promoting the office through social media and marketing. Lateer joined the CBL staff last year, and this will be her second Sunday Funday. Lateer thinks that overall, CBL is an interesting and unique program, providing students with an opportunity to engage with the community.   

Sunday Funday is a chance for student organizations to get involved in the community without taking a CBL course. “We are reaching out to student organizations to help host activities at Sunday Funday,” says Lateer.   

Danny Ruaño ‘26 is a community mentor for CBL, acting essentially as a liaison between students and the community partner at their site. Ruaño is new to the CBL staff, so this will be his first year working at Sunday Funday. “It sounds like a very nice event for the community to join in an event with St. Lawrence,” says Ruaño.   

Sunday Funday is a great example of the CBL program’s work on campus and how it aims to build more engagement between St. Lawrence students and the community around them. Sunday Funday provides student organizations with an opportunity to participate in fun activities with local families, furthering that engagement.