The Carolina Panthers have challenged the Queens community to perform 75,000 hours of community service during the 2011-12 academic year.

Pat Taft, director of the Center for Active Citizenship, says she's confident that we will exceed that goal, in part because of a new partnership that will draw support from the entire Queens community.

Queens' major service partner this year will be Sedgefield Elementary School, which serves 450 students from pre-kindergarten to 5th grade.  Most of the students at the school are underprivileged and the teaching staff has identified critical needs that Queens has pledged to support.

Queens and Sedgefield are working together on a Strategic Staffing Initiative (SSI) for disadvantaged schools, as proposed by former CMS Superintendent Dr. Pete Gorman.

"With the Initiative and the Queens Partnership, student achievement at Sedgefield Elementary School is expected to rise tremendously," said Center Director Pat Taft. "With everything that Queens has to offer, along with the resilience of the Sedgefield Elementary students, faculty and staff, this partnership will prove to be a success.

All Queens students, faculty and staff are eligible to help with the Sedgefield Volunteer Project.  While strengthening the Queens community as well as the local community, we volunteer to realize the importance and value of education for our own and future generations. Service hours also will count toward the Panthers Challenge.

The kickoff for the Panthers Challenge will be held Tuesday, Sept. 20 at 11 a.m. in the residential quad.