Looking Back at The Project 2023
On a chilly Saturday morning, hundreds of students volunteered at the 24th annual The Project, UT’s largest student-run day of service. Throughout Project Day, held on February 25, they toiled on various neighborhood beautification projects at various work sites in Northeast Austin – from planting flowers to installing irrigation systems to building benches and picnic tables.
Below are some photos from the day-long event organized by the Community Engagement Collective, a group of student volunteers within the DDCE’s Center for Community Engagement. Visit our Flickr album for more photos.
Student volunteers get a warm welcome from university leaders, faculty, staff and student team leads at the big kick-off ceremony held at Northeast High School.
Volunteers fuel up with a hearty breakfast before dispersing to ten different worksites around the St. John’s, Georgian Acres and Rundberg neighborhoods.
A student shows his Longhorn pride while constructing a garden bed.
Members of the Sweatt Center for Black Males get down to work at a landscaping site. They are among many student programs and organizations that participate in The Project every year.
Members of the Texas Wranglers show that teamwork makes the dream work at one of several landscaping sites.
A volunteer gives a structure a fresh coat of paint outside the North Austin YMCA.
Several representatives from the City of Austin celebrated the occasion at a speaker event held at the North Austin YMCA. Pictured above is City Council Member Jose “Chito” Vela. He was joined by Austin Parks & Recreation Department Director Kim McNeeley; YMCA of Austin Chief Executive Officer Kathy Kuras; JE Dunn Construction; Studio 8 architects; and other city officials. Read the KEYE news story for more information.
Volunteers toil away at a community garden with tools provided by Home Depot, our longtime partners who help make the event successful every year.
Even the Home Depot cat, Jojo, rolled up his sleeves to help beautify the neighborhood.
A young horticulturist admires a bounty of produce at a worksite.
Representatives from the Plant Clinic brave the morning chill to help out with gardening and landscaping projects. They are among several community partners who donate their time and resources to The Project.
A big thanks goes out to the many big-hearted students who gave back to the community this year at The Project. We raise our horns to the volunteers, the Community Engagement Collective team leads and the Community Engagement Center staff for keeping this annual tradition alive for more than two decades. This big day of service is also made possible by the corporate and community partners who give so generously year after year.
More about The Project: Established in 1999, The Project is the annual culmination of a 12-month partnership effort involving UT Austin student volunteers, city government departments, community organizations and local businesses. Visit The Project website to learn more.