Harvard students of different ethnic backgrounds convened yesterday, but not in the usual campus forum.

Approximately 45 students from a diverse array of campus groups took part in the Inter-Ethnic Day of Service, aiding five community service programs in the Boston area.

The aim of the day was not only to provide a beneficial service to the community but also to promote inter-ethnic awareness and understanding among participating students, said David J. Andorsky '97, chair of the Harvard-Radcliffe Hillel, which co-sponsored the event along with the Minority Student's Alliance (MSA).

Ethan M. Tucker '97, chair emeritus of Hillel, who is also a Crimson editor, said the program fills a need that was not met elsewhere on campus.

"We started it in response to the fact that a lot of campus interactive events [among ethnic groups] seem to be very gastronomic, and we wanted a more active approach to bringing students together," Tucker said.

Yesterday, students from Hillel, the South Asian Association (SAA), Black Students Association (BSA), Harvard Philippine Forum (HPF), the Japan Society, the Society of Arab Students (SAS), Chinese Student Association (CSA) and the Asian-American Association (AAA) among others, participated in the program.

Students were divided into ethnically-balanced groups of five to 10 people.

After meeting at Hillel at 9 a.m. yesterday each group volunteered at a different location until 2 p.m.

Groups performed public service at Boston Urban Gardens in Dorchester, the Albany Street Shelter, the Community Learning Center, the Salvation Army and the Cambridge YMCA.

Dolyta B. Avant '99, a liaison between the BSA and the MSA, said the event helped foster interaction between different groups.

"When we got through, it really looked like we had accomplished something.... I definitely met people that I wouldn't have met if we hadn't of done this," she said.

When they returned to campus, students engaged in a discussion to review together what they had accomplished during the day.

They also ate ice cream donated by Harvard Dining Services and received T-shirts.