FARMINGTON – Students and their teachers gathered Thursday in Nordica Auditorium at the University of Maine at Farmington to acknowledge the work of the Service-Learning and Civic Engagement Program.

Students involved in the program put their classroom knowledge to work in the community to prepare tax returns for low-income families, read the newspaper to residents of Pierce House, work on ski board programs at Titcomb Mountain, or run focus groups for elementary boys to help understand and address the problem of why some boys underachieve in school.

It was a final celebration and award ceremony. The program’s office will be closed and Director Lucia Swallow’s position will end May 31 due to budget cuts at UMF.

On Thursday, several students who showed leadership and were active were honored, as were the faculty members who nominated them.

Students in classes taught by associate professor of accounting Frank Engert became certified through the IRS Web site to do tax returns. They worked from January through March to help local people with their tax returns and estimated they found $270,000 in refunds on the 182 returns that were done.

After the activity director at Pierce House broke an ankle this semester, students in associate professor of psychology Steven Quackenbush’s classes stepped up, he told the audience. They had been working with the activity director because of their interest in the aging process but then helped lead activities while she was out, he said.

Other students were honored for work in programs at Western Mountains Alliance, the Gold LEAF Institute, writing workshops, leading informative tours of the new Educational Center on the UMF campus, and other endeavors.

Working with the Maine Civil Liberties Union, Oreva Olakpe worked on projects geared toward book-banning.

“I was really surprised by the faculty and community support on my project,” Olakpe said following the program.

She and student Jacques Rancourt were given Maine Campus Compact awards by program director Maryli Tiemann of Lewiston. The MCC program is located at Bates College and includes other campuses with the goal of developing better informed, active citizens, problem-solvers and a more democratic society.

Similar celebrations took place at Bates College and Andover College and across the nation as she applauded how the students “make such a difference in our communities,” she said.

“But it couldn’t happen without their energy, enthusiasm and the faculty,” she added.