On a sunny Saturday morning, hundreds of students volunteered at the 25th anniversary of The Project, UT’s largest student-run day of service. Throughout Project Day, held on March 2, they toiled on various neighborhood beautification projects in the Dove Springs neighborhood – from grooming goats and donkeys to painting buildings to sprucing up gardens and green spaces.

Below are some photos from the day-long event organized by the Community Engagement Collective, a group of student volunteers within the Division of Campus and Community Engagement’s (DCCE) Center for Community Engagement. Visit our Flickr album for more photos.

Students and staff from the DCCE’s Center for Community Engagement smile for a group shot at the morning kick-off at the George Morales Dove Springs Recreational Center.

Volunteers grab their T-shirts and swag bags before dispersing to their group projects.

A proud Longhorn poses with an inflatable Hook ‘Em at the Community Kids Fair hosted by The Project and Hub Connect, a Dove Springs nonprofit that connects community members with resources.

A couple of gardening volunteers take a moment to raise their horns at a landscaping worksite.

Volunteers roll up their sleeves to beautify buildings, interior walls and a donation shed with fresh coats of paint.

In between projects, volunteers stop to pet adorable bunnies, hedgehogs, guinea pigs and chickens at a festival hosted by Hub Connect at Glad Tidings Church, Buenas Nuevas Campus.

A big thanks goes out to the many big-hearted students who gave back to the community this year at The Project. We raise our horns to the volunteers, the Community Engagement Collective team leads, and the Community Engagement Center staff for keeping this annual tradition alive for more than two decades. This big day of service is also made possible by the corporate and community partners who give so generously year after year.

More about The Project: Established in 1999, The Project is the annual culmination of a 12-month partnership effort involving UT Austin student volunteers, city government departments, community organizations and local businesses. Visit The Project website to learn more.