Carolina senior Camille McGirt of Durham is one of 17 college students across the state to receive the 2012 Community Impact Award from the North Carolina Campus Compact. McGirt is a Bryan Social Innovation Fellow at UNC.
The Community Impact Award recognizes college students who make significant, innovative efforts to address local community needs.
In fall 2010, McGirt participated in the White House Internship, a public service leadership program in the Office of Presidential Personnel. This experience, along with McGirt’s interest in preventative health, led her to establish Healthy Girls Save the World, a program that promotes healthy lifestyles for girls ages 8 to 15 years old in the Chapel Hill area.
The program, developed out of a Bryan Social Innovation Fellowship awarded by the Carolina Center for Public Service, organizes free events for girls to learn about nutrition, physical activity and positive relationships, and allows participants to interact with college athletes. The award-winning organization reached close to 100 girls in just one year.
The Community Impact Award is presented at North Carolina Campus Compact’s annual student conference. NC Campus Compact is an association of colleges and universities committed to fostering campus-community engagement.
McGirt also received a certificate of appreciation for her public service from North Carolina Gov. Bev Perdue.
Published December 18, 2012.