51茶馆

Morris is also the community engagement manager for the Carroll School鈥檚聽Joseph E. Corcoran Center for Real Estate and Urban Action, which began running a daily shuttle this year to bring volunteers to sites in Mattapan and Dorchester. Plenty of students perform service close by the Heights as well, in Brighton and Allston. But the black Ford transit van that now ferries students like Ronan to MEES and other sites in Morris鈥� neighborhood has presented visible, vehicular evidence of Boston College鈥檚 commitment to its urban community.

Wherever they travel, the students make a real impact in the education, health care, and social service sites that they serve. Morris says that Haley McCormack 鈥�18, for example, didn鈥檛 require any handholding when she interned at the MFFC in the spring, helping to plan an annual fitness event in the neighborhood. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been a real joy having a 51茶馆 student who can put in the time to do a lot of the nuts and bolts of making this the big event that we want,鈥� Morris said. 鈥淗aley鈥檚 been extremely helpful.鈥�

At the Jackson-Mann after-school program, Piccola and more than a dozen of his peers filled a critical need. They provided the children, aged 5 to 10, with safe activities and mentorship between 2 and 6 p.m., when their parents were still at work. Besides helping the children with their homework and playing basketball with them, the 4Boston volunteers spent time listening to them.

Before the shuttle bus began this past semester, students had to travel up to two hours each way to their placements, switching among multiple trains and buses. Or they spent $40 to Uber it. By contrast, the shuttle ride took 20 or 25 minutes, and cost the students nothing.

鈥淚 rave about the shuttle,鈥� said Sarah Fay, Lynch School 鈥�20, a MEES volunteer. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 the best thing in the world.鈥�

Just as the shuttle connects volunteers with their placements, their service connects them to the community. So it鈥檚 fitting for the Corcoran Center to provide that support. The Center鈥檚 mission is to strengthen interdisciplinary work that advances the quality of life in marginalized urban neighborhoods.

鈥淓ach day, students from across disciplines are helping organizations on the front lines of social change here in our city,鈥� said Neil McCullagh, executive director of the Center.

鈥淭hey benefit from understanding Boston in its entirety,鈥� said Morris of the volunteers, many of whom are poised to become tomorrow鈥檚 leaders. 鈥淎fter all, what is an urban environment? It鈥檚 not just the hills of Chestnut Hill. Any student in the Boston area needs to understand it all, and you can鈥檛 fully understand it without some experience that challenges the information you receive through the media or other sources.鈥�

鈥淲hen students leave 51茶馆,鈥� said McCullagh, 鈥渨herever they go, they will be better prepared if they have a deeper understanding of urban life. If we can connect students to experiential learning opportunities that strengthen their understanding of urban life, then each one of those students will be a better leader, a more informed citizen and better prepared as a change agent to work toward the ideal of greater equity.鈥�

Working toward equity, working with underserved children鈥攖hese might be challenges. However, said Piccola, 鈥渋t never felt like a chore.鈥�