Lesley University students Larry Richards and Crystal Tarrago volunteer at Waltham Community Farms in Waltham. (Photo: Lesley University)

Lesley University has been named to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll in recognition of its leadership among institutions of higher education for its commitment to volunteering, service learning, civic engagement and bettering communities through service.

Lesley has received the distinction each year since the program began in 2006, the school said in a March 21 press release. It is among 690 schools named to the honor roll this year.

Last year alone, Lesley students directed through the university’s Office of Community Service completed 6,800 hours of community service at 50 organizations, including the Cambridge Women’s Center, Tutoring Plus of Cambridge, Waltham Community Farms, Margaret Fuller Neighborhood House, the Columbia, S.C., Habitat for Humanity and Cradles to Crayons.

“Our students not only participate in service, but they also take on leadership roles as they contribute to projects that make a positive impact in the community,” said Sarah Chafe, Lesley’s community engagement coordinator of the Massachusetts Campus Compact AmeriCorps VISTA. “We are grateful to our many community partners for their collaboration and support.”

The honor roll is administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service and the U.S. Department of Education.

“Communities are strengthened when we all come together, and we are encouraged that these institutions and their students have made service a priority,” U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said in announcing the award. “Civic engagement should be a key component of every student’s education experience. Through reaching out to meet the needs of their neighbors, these students are deepening their impact, strengthening our democracy and ultimately preparing themselves to be successful citizens.”