Providence, RI -- One hundred and fifty members of the Providence College class of 2010 spent their first days in Providence participating in the College's 16th annual Urban Action program.  Members of the College's freshman class joined 25 upper-classmen leaders and volunteered 3,000 hours of labor at six sites throughout Providence during the three-day effort.

In one of the program's most ambitious and far-reaching projects yet, students collaborated with officials from the City of Providence's Parks Department to improve the status of city-planted trees and restore city parks. 

At Neutaconkanut and Merino Parks students renovated trails, painted guard rails, and performed general clean-up.  Volunteers undertook tree bed cleaning and mulching just off-campus on Eaton Street and performed a tree inventory/ assessment in the College's surrounding neighborhoods.  Across town other students  beautifed the entrance to Roger Williams Park by painting fences and restoring tree bed areas. 

As part of another student initiative, students painted rooms at the Sophia Academy.  The school is a non-denominational, private, non-profit middle school for girls grades 5-8 from low-income families in Providence.

The Urban Action program was initiated by Providence College students in 1991 with 17 students volunteering the first year. Since then, nearly 2100 freshmen have participated, with many returning each year as leaders. The goal of the program is to provide incoming students with an opportunity to make a positive difference in the community that will be their "home away from home" for the next four years.

Past projects have included clearing brush and preparing fields for a new organic gardening project at the Urban Edge Farm; conducting a massive cleanup at the City Arts! building; clearing pastures and outbuildings to create a community farm for Providence families; digging trenches for the city to lay electric lines for a community sports league; and preparing a spot for Smith Hill Center's outdoor performance center and park. Students also participate in similar neighborhood projects throughout the academic year.