How to Get Involved

Benefits of Service Learning/Volunteering “Receive as much as you give”

Benefits of Volunteering - When volunteering in the community, you:

• Gain a sense of satisfaction
  
• Know that you are needed
  
• See that you are making a difference in someone’s life
  
• Help the advancement of a cause
  
• Learn a new skill
  
• Make a new friend
  
• Put something important on your resume
  
• Put something important on college transfer applications

Benefits to Students – The students’ learning experience is enhanced because they get to apply theoretical ideas they’ve learned in class in a very practical way, by applying them to real-life situations.

• When students are involved in service learning, they:
  
  • Enrich and apply classroom knowledge
    
  • Explore careers/majors
    
  • Broaden horizons
    
  • Document experiences
    
  • Have a chance to make a difference
    
  • Improve citizenship, life, self-learning, occupational, and critical thinking skills
    
  • Improve self-esteem
    
  • Enjoy
    
  • Become aware of their community and its needs
    
  • Develop ethically and morally

  Benefits to Community/The Organization – Students provide a service to non-profit agencies that cannot otherwise be met due to the small budget non-profits work under. When students volunteer in the community as part of their coursework, the community/organization:
  

  • Participates in students education
    
  • Gains future citizen support
    
  • Increases ability to hire good students
    
  • Gets new ideas to meet human needs
    
  • Receives mutually beneficial interactions
    
  • Gains new roles for supervisors
    
  • Develops better community resources for all citizens
    
  • Receives continuing support from citizens who are becoming more aware of the needs and resources in the community
    
  • Receives needed publicity about their needs and services

  Service Learning Categories
  

  • *Advocacy

  • *Animals – Care, Education, Protection and Welfare, Rescue, Therapy

  • *Arts – Museums, Historical Preservation

  • Children – Childcare, After School Programs, Child Development

  • Community – Civic Organizations, Scouts, Municipal Government

  • Corrections/Law Enforcement

  • Developmentally Disabled – Support Services, Group homes, Therapeutic Riding Program

  • Education/Schools – Art, Music, Tutoring, Athletics, ESL, Special Education, Mentoring

  • Elderly/Senior Citizens/Older Adults

  • Emergency – Crisis, Disaster Assistance, Clean-up

  • Family/Support Services

  • Fire and Rescue

  • Food/Hunger

  • Fundraising/Special Events/Festivals

  • Health/Wellness – Hospital, YMCA

  • Homelessness/Poverty Prevention & Assistance

  • Human Services - Behavioral Health, Mental Health, Psychology, Social Work, Substance Abuse

  • Military

  • Parks/Nature/Environmental

  • Political Campaigns

  • Recreation/Sports/Fitness – Coaching Youth/Athletics, Athletic Associations, Cheerleading

  • Religious Community/Religious Education

  • Youth Services and Programs

  • Miscellaneous

  • *May not be suitable for direct service projects for Sociology 101.

  *May not be suitable for direct service projects for Sociology 101.
  
  Service Learning Hour Report
  
  Service Learning Student Information
  
  Clubs and Organizations