About

The David & Wanda Brown Center for Leadership and Service has a longstanding history with the University of Florida. Founded in 1992, the volunteer student organization, Gators Involved in Volunteer Endeavors (GIVE) was founded in the J. Wayne Reitz Union’s Office of Student Activities. GIVE sent the first UF alternative break group in March 1993 to Miami, FL, to assist with disaster relief and recovery from Hurricane Andrew. GIVE’s mission to increase volunteerism at UF through group community service projects resulted in a steady increase in service projects and student participants.

In 1998, the J. Wayne Reitz Union’s Office of Student Activities established the TreeHouse 1998 to serve as the campus clearinghouse for volunteerism and service. In 2000, TreeHouse has renamed the Office of Community Service (OCS) to more accurately reflect its function as the volunteer service center on campus. In 2004-2005, the Office of Community Service transitioned into the Center for Leadership & Service, housed within the Dean of Students Office.

In 2015, the Center for Leadership & Service was renamed the David and Wanda Brown Center for Leadership & Service (BCLS) and in February 2016, moved into the J. Wayne Reitz Union. The BCLS is a department within the Division of Student Life and connects broadly to the student body to focus on promoting student engagement opportunities around leadership and service.