In high school, at some point or another, we were all involved in some form of community service whether it was serving through clubs like the Red Cross or volunteering in our free time.
In college, however, it’s a bit harder to continue doing service with all the classes and clubs to juggle. Luckily, we have the Community Service Center (CSC) here at BU to help make community service a bit easier.
Shout-out to those who have already done FYSOP (First-Year Student Outreach Program)! By participating in that program, you’ve already made the first step in making time for community service.
Here are a few programs that you can sign-up for to fulfill your community service needs:
Alternative Service Breaks (ASB)
If you were involved in FYSOP, this might be a comfortable program for you to join. Similar to FYSOP, you participate in a week or so of service but rather than Boston, you have the option to travel to various places. In the past, ASB has traveled to around 39 sites in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Usually, this service takes place over Spring Break, so if you’re from out of the country or simply live too far to travel home for a week, this is a great alternative.
Similar to the Big Brothers, Big Sisters program, this program matches you with children (around the ages of 6-12) so that you can mentor them. In this way, you have the opportunity to create a positive impact on these children. You (the mentor) get to take the child (the mentee) around Boston and expose them to experiences and events that will help positively shape them. The children come from elementary schools around Boston, and the time commitment to help is relatively low at around 2-5 hours a week. Try this out, and you never know – you might leave a great impression on your mentee.
You have the chance to basically be a wizard by teaching kids to become more excited and active in the science field. The point of this program is to increase students’ wonder and curiosity in the field of science by showing them cool experiments. If you want to help connect this field to everyday life and apply the skills you’ve learned in lab, apply for this program. If you’re passionate about having a career in the science field, pay it forward and help others gain that same passion.
If you’re interested in making a big impact with social issues such as HIV/AIDS awareness, childhood obesity, and self-image, among other issues, come join this service. The hour commitment is very low at 2-3 hours, but think about the potential effect you may have in a person’s life by helping them deal with their issues. All it takes is one application, and you’ll be on your way to getting educated and educating others.
Music is an amazing creative outlet for emotions and feelings that is safe and secure. This program brings that outlet to elementary children around Boston. BU students teach vocal, instrumental and dance lessons in hopes of opening up this creative outlet to children. At the end of the program, students and volunteers perform in a recital, effectively rounding out what was learned during their time together. This is a great way to spread your own creativity to others. Again, all you need is about 2-3 hours free each week.
Volunteering on campus doesn’t stop with just these events! Many cultural and religious clubs hold their own community service events, through which you can get involved. All it takes is a bit of searching, but you’ll definitely feel satisfied after helping out the community around you.