Chaminade University was placed on the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll and received the Presidential Award for Service to Youth from Disadvantaged Circumstances.

Chaminade is one of three colleges and universities nationwide to receive the presidential award. It's also the first higher education institution from Hawai'i to win the award, Chaminade officials said.

The Corporation for National and Community Service was expected to honor Chaminade today at the American Council on Education annual conference in San Diego. Honorees were selected based on factors including the scope of service projects and the percentage of student participation.

Chaminade was recognized for community service achievements including the university's Palolo Pipeline & Beyond project, which provided academic support to Palolo youth from disadvantaged circumstances. Students trained by the Internal Revenue Service also helped the local working-poor obtain federal earned income tax credits and get back more than $150,000 in taxes.

"Chaminade students are a sterling example of today's college students, who are tackling the toughest problems in America, demonstrating their compassion, commitment, and creativity by serving as mentors, tutors, health workers, and even engineers," said David Eisner, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service. "They represent a renewed spirit of civic engagement fostered by outstanding leadership on caring campuses."

Chaminade President Sue Wesselkamper said community service is considered a "key component in educating our students and preparing them to become engaged citizens."

"We have made it our mission to graduate students who are well-prepared for successful careers through their educational experience and enhanced by their service-learning involvements."

In addition to Chaminade, the presidential award was presented to Syracuse University in New York and the University of Redlands in California.