April is National Volunteer Month and Ashford University celebrated the occasion with a multi-state volunteer event called Heroes Day on Saturday, April 25. Staff, faculty, and students from Ashford University joined together with representatives from the University’s parent company, Bridgepoint Education, and University of the Rockies to take part in volunteer efforts held simultaneously in San Diego, Denver, and Clinton, Iowa. Hundreds of volunteers showed up to support Heroes Day activities in the three locations.  

In San Diego, Ashford employees and students teamed up with Bridgepoint Education employees to volunteer at the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank. Nearly 300 volunteers spent the day performing various tasks to prepare 1,390 food boxes – which equate to 40,000 pounds of food – that will feed senior citizens who face food insecurity. The volunteers also prepared 3,946 backpacks filled with food that will be given to children who are at risk of hunger. The Heroes Day volunteer activities served as the fitting culmination of a month-long food drive held at the San Diego locations for Ashford and Bridgepoint. During the food drive, Ashford and Bridgepoint employees donated almost 8,000 pounds of food to the Food Bank.

In Denver, employees of Ashford, Bridgepoint, and University of the Rockies joined students in an event to improve Smith Elementary School. The volunteers organized the school’s reading room, cleaned the black top, and prepared a garden for planting.

Ashford employees and students in Clinton, Iowa came together for a project to remove trash from a stretch of Mill Creek Parkway near Ashford’s Iowa Online Center.

Held bi-annually, past Heroes Day events have focused on service projects such as cleaning Balboa Park in San Diego, revitalizing the Mary Fay Pendleton School on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, refurbishing the Mi Casa Resource Center in Denver, and many other activities to improve local communities.

About Ashford University

Where heritage meets innovation – that’s Ashford University. At Ashford, students discover relevant degree programs, innovative technology, and cherished tradition. Ashford offers associates, bachelor’s, and master’s online degree programs, while the Clinton, Iowa campus offers bachelor’s programs. Whether on campus or online, Ashford students enjoy the same supportive community. For more information, please visit www.ashford.edu, www.facebook.com/ashforduniversity, www.twitter.com/AshfordU, or call Shari Winet, Vice President of Public Relations, at 858.513.9240 x2513.

About Bridgepoint Education

Bridgepoint Education, Inc. (NYSE:BPI) harnesses the latest technology to reimagine the modern student experience. Bridgepoint’s technologies, including Waypoint Outcomes^®, enhance the way people learn in the digital age. Bridgepoint owns two academic institutions – Ashford University and University of the Rockies. Together, these programs, technologies, and resources represent a unique model for advancing education in the 21st century. Bridgepoint stands for greater access, social learning, and exposure to leading minds. For more information, visit www.bridgepointeducation.com, www.facebook.com/BridgepointEducation, or call Shari Winet, Vice President of Public Relations, at 858.668.2580.

About University of the Rockies

University of the Rockies is a leading graduate school of the social and behavioral sciences that offers programs for students seeking their PhD, PsyD, or Master of Arts degree. Students may take classes at a state-of-the-art instructional site in downtown Denver, Colo., or work toward degrees online from anywhere in the country. Whether face-to-face or online, University of the Rockies students enjoy the same access to industry professionals, research, and publishing opportunities. For more information, please visit www.rockies.edu/, www.facebook.com/UniversityoftheRockies, www.twitter.com/URockies, or call Shari Winet, Vice President of Public Relations, at 866.621.0124 x2513.