About
Berea College has a long history of service. This is reflected in the College motto: “Learning, Labor and Service.” Service was embedded in the dream of the founders: to create a community where blacks and whites, men and women, could learn together as equals. Since its beginnings, Berea has dedicated itself to serving:
- African Americans
- People from southern and central Appalachia who could not otherwise afford a college education.
The Great Commitments recognize the importance of service to our identity. Specific commitments include:
- “….to emphasize the Christian ethic and motive of service to others”
- “to engage Appalachian communities, families, and students in partnership for mutual learning, growth, and service.”
In a broader sense, the preamble to the Great Commitments calls us to strive toward a world beyond suffering and inequality. These are the challenges that service should address. At Berea College, “…students and staff alike can work toward both personal goals and a vision of the world shaped by Christian values, such as the power of love over hate, human dignity and equality, and peace with justice.”