Serving with Purpose: Volunteering During Your College Years

The problems our world is facing today – disease, poverty, food insecurity, war and conflicts, etc. – can feel overwhelming. Volunteering is a tangible way to experience hope, gain perspective and find places where your gifts and talents can serve the needs of your local community. Research even confirms that people who invest time in their communities through service experience benefit personally. From the "helper's high" to forging stronger friendships, volunteering – especially during college – can positively impact every area of a person’s well-being.

As a college student, finding the right way to serve with your schedule is crucial. In this article, we will explore different avenues for college students to get involved in community engagement while balancing the exciting opportunities their colleges offer.

How to serve

Think About What Moves You

Start by finding the campus department or office that connects college students to the community through service.

“There’s going to be a department, office or program at most institutions,” says Shakarah Cummings, the coordinator of Berry College’s Office of Belonging and Community Engagement. “But it can be confusing for students because colleges have different names for them. For example, we have the office of Belonging and Community Engagement. Our office focuses on building a Good Neighbor Culture on campus and in the local area. We start by fostering a sense of belonging for all students on campus, and then we encourage those students to take the love of the good neighbor culture out into our local area.”

When looking at a college website, Cummings suggests searching for terms like “service, community engagement, community impact, volunteer or outreach.” She also says orientation mentors, faculty advisors or student life experts can help if you have trouble finding the right department.

Once you find the correct space, do some brainstorming before making an appointment. Some college students' first experience with community service happens through orientation or a campus-wide event. Colleges know that volunteering can forge relationships. If a service event sparks a desire to volunteer more, ask yourself, “What is it that makes me want to volunteer?”

“Start by thinking about what you are passionate about,” says Cummings. “If you know what type of problems move you or which focus area inspires you, then a staff member at the college can help you identify a service organization you might want to work with."

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For example, Berry has nine service focus areas they can direct students to:

Animal Care and Protection
Youth Development and Education
Community and Cultural Enrichment
Support for Different Abilities and Accessibility
Food Assistance and Nutrition
Environmental Conversation and Sustainability
Health and Medical Support
Advocacy and Social Impact
Housing and Shelter Support

Think About Where You Are Involved

“Another way to consider service is through student life,” says Cummings. “For example, many student organizations, clubs and sports at Berry have a service component as a part of their membership or mission. A student may not want to serve on their own but may enjoy volunteering as a part of a particular group.”

There are also several scholarships that have service requirements as a part of holding the scholarship such as the Bonner Scholars Program.

When you meet with a community engagement staff member, share the types of service you are interested in, but also talk about your major and other clubs or teams you are involved in. You may find synergy in groups and clubs you are already a part of.

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Think About Receiving Credit

Academic Community Engagement (ACE) courses are another way students can serve. These classes challenge students to engage in critical reflection as they pursue opportunities to apply academic knowledge in diverse community settings. They are taught by faculty members who receive training in designing and implementing a course connected to working with a community partner. Berry College offers 32 ACE courses across 15 departments or disciplines to enhance students' understanding of content and inspiring responsible citizenship.

Unlike one-time service events, ACE classes set up a framework where students can participate in a sustained relationship with a community partner with specific goals and opportunities to process their experiences. Classes typically begin helping students define what community engagement means and how students can be “good neighbors” in their local areas. Though the content and objectives may vary, there are three guiding principles for Berry's ACE classes:

Cultural Humility: Faculty members help students learn how to approach their learning experience not thinking of themselves as less than but thinking of themselves less. This focus shift is a critical piece as students learn to practice valuing their neighbors or community partners as co-creators of knowledge.
Ethical Component: Faculty members help students practice a deep appreciation and respect for the required codes of conduct in each unique setting. For example, in the Inside Out ACE course at Berry, students are part of a class with inmates at a local prison. In the course, each student must be aware and respectful of facility rules. Things that might typically be allowed in a classroom could cause problems for their inside classmates once they leave the facility. Helping students carry this perspective is an important part of the classroom environment.
Critical Reflection: Faculty members also design assignments to prompt students to consider the things they see, do, etc. These assignments encourage students to connect their experiences to their academic material. It also allows them to process insights gained as well as questions that arise during their experience, anticipated or unanticipated.

Describing the power of critical reflection in ACE courses, Associate Professor of Sociology and ACE Faculty Associate Sarah Allred explains, “Many times faculty members can’t anticipate what will be transformative for students, and that element of surprise can be a neat thing for both student and faculty."

Allred notes that benefits and outcomes vary between ACE courses, but at their core, students experience:

An interactive and inclusive learning environment – ACE courses allow for active, engaged learning in places or circumstances with groups of people students may not typically interact with.
The opportunity to be a co-creator of knowledge – Rather than seeing a faculty member as the exclusive owner of knowledge, students work with community partners to grow and learn together. The teacher is still an expert, but they are not the only experts in these classes.
A rich framework for cultivating or deepening relationships – Whether with one another or building relationships in the community, students build a strong foundation for future collaborations.
Circumstances poised to foster personal and professional development – In these settings, students are pushed to acquire better listening skills and to discern and make decisions beyond themselves, considering the needs and variables of a community partner.

"Because of these benefits, students often highlight or designate ACE classes on their transcripts and resumes,” says Allred. “There is also an ACE certificate for students who complete three ACE courses, take a capstone or ACE workshop, and take part in a significant service project. These designators have been helpful for students not only to memorialize their volunteering but to help them talk about the experience with outside audiences and connect it to their future.”

Ultimately, as a college student, you have a unique opportunity to make a difference in the world while enriching your own life. By identifying what moves you, exploring where you are already involved and considering academic credit options, you can find meaningful ways to engage with your community during college. As Berry’s founder often said to her students, “I pray that I may leave the world more beautiful than when I found it.” College is an opportunity to become a leader through service.

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