Which partnership option is right for you?
Whether you prefer to work with one student or a whole class, whether you want help tackling a large project or just need help on a smaller task, there are a variety of ways that we can help you partner with students. The following are the most common ways, but don't hesitate to reach out and we can consider a better way to meet your needs.
Volunteer Opportunities
Do you need students to show up to an event, volunteer for a few hours, or help spead the word about an opportunity that students could be a part of? We might be able to develop a partnership, or just let students know about the opportunity.
Undergraduate internships are a good option if you need a single student to have a consistent presence in your organization and the ability to take on smaller projects or tasks as they emerge over the course of the semester. Interships allow a student to invest more in becoming a member of the organization, without the added complications of additional class assignments that students have with class partnerships. It's like having a skilled part-time employee. Internships can be done during the Fall, Spring and Summer semesters. Learn about internships.
Additionally, second year masters students in our graduate program in Communication and Advocacy can complete a year long intership as part of their completion requirements. These students will work in your organization 10 hours a week for both fall and spring semesters, pursuing a project or projects that directly relate(s) to communication and advocacy. Their goal is to make a signifant and research informed contribution to your organization while there.
If you're not ready to supervise an internship, but you have a project that you'd like help on, a class partnership might be right for you. With a class partnership, students work with you to fulfill part of the requirements of a regularly scheduled course. These projects range from specific deliverables that you just hand off and we return completed to more involved projects that necessitate regular planning meetings. We have a wide variety of courses that mentor students through these types of engagements. By the way, class partnerships don't necessarily mean you're working with the WHOLE class, you often work with 1 or 2 students or a small group. It just depends on what works best for you and the class. This list describes several of the courses that often partner with community organizations and a short description of the kinds of projects that might emerge from those courses
Visiting a Class
Don't have a clear need, but still want to get involved with students? Maybe you have experience or expertise in an area that you want to share with our students. Let us know and we'll see if we can find a class that is a good fit.
Want to know more?
Nothing here quite fit your needs? Have some good ideas to talk through?
Whether you're ready to get started or just want to learn more, reaching out to our Community Engagement & Volunteer Center is the next step.