co-curricular service opportunities
AmeriCorps Student Leaders in Service
Boston Cares Student Volunteer Leaders
alternative spring break
Alternative break programs, as defined by Break Away® an Alternative Break, place teams of college or high school students in communities to engage in community service and experiential learning during their summer, fall, winter or spring breaks. Students design and perform short term projects for community agencies and learn about issues such as literacy, poverty, racism, hunger, homelessness and the environment. The objectives of an alternative break program are to involve college students in community-based service projects and to give students opportunities to learn about the problems faced by members of communities with whom they otherwise may have had little or no direct contact. Being completely immersed into diverse environments enables participants to experience, discuss, and understand social issues in a significant way. The intensity of the experience often inspires participants to transfer the lessons learned on-site back to their own communities even after the alternative break ends.
AmeriCorps* student leaders in service
AmeriCorps Student Leaders in Service is an AmeriCorps Education Award Only program which engages college students as part-time AmeriCorps members. AmeriCorps is a network of local, state, and national service programs that connects more than 70,000 Americans each year in intensive service to meet our country’s critical needs in education, public safety, health, and the environment. For completing 300 hours of service in a year, participants will receive and AmeriCorps Ed Award of $1,000 that can be used toward future educational expenses.
Download the Student Leaders in Service Application .
Boston cares student volunteer leaders
Boston Cares organizes and leads team oriented volunteer opportunities throughout Greater Boston that have a positive impact on individuals and communities. They build relationships with nonprofits with needs that can be filled by flexibly scheduled teams of volunteers and then recruit, orient, and deploy reliable and enthusiastic groups of volunteers who get the job done. Imagine, Emerson’s service organization, is partnering with Boston Cares as part of a pilot program to engage more college students in service.
Student Volunteer Leaders will be selected to go through orientation and training, after which they will be able to set up service projects for groups of volunteers from their college through Boston Cares’ Calendar program. You can volunteer through Imagine as an individual or a group, or you can email their president, Monica Boland, to get more information on becoming a Student Volunteer Leader yourself and start organizing easy, fun, and meaningful service projects for your own group!
Join us for the Boston Cares Campus Initiative Day of Service on September 13. Contact monica_boland@emerson.edu to sign up!
campus service initiatives and student groups
There are many student groups and student initiatives on campus that are focused on service or social justice or that incorporate service into their activities. Joining a group is a great way to start your college service experience because opportunities are already set up for you and you are able to meet other like-minded students.
Campus Service Initiatives, Student Groups, and Popular Service
doing well by doing good
Doing Well by Doing Good is a chance for students from all majors to explore the idea of working in the nonprofit sector by having an informal discussion over lunch with nonprofit leaders and Emerson alumni. We are always looking for educational speakers from the nonprofit sector, and DWDG is an opportunity for community organizations to connect with our students and recruit volunteers, internships, or even new employees since many graduating seniors attend these events.
Civic Engagement: Tuesday October 7, 12-2 p.m., Career Services, 216 Tremont
VMA Focus: Tuesday , Dec. 2, 12-2 pm, Career Services, 216 Tremont
Women in Entrepreneurship: Tuesday, March 24, 12-2 p.m., Career Services, 216 Tremont
To attend any events, RSVP to Careers@emerson.edu.
emerson action day
A now annual tradition, Emerson Action Day is a day at the end of the academic year when students, faculty, and alumni are invited to participate in several service projects around Boston then come together for a luncheon that celebrates the Emerson service community and our community partners!
This year Emerson Action Day will take place Saturday, April 11. Mark your calendar!
See photographs from Emerson Action Day.
leadership through service
For students excited to connect a focus on communication and the arts with a commitment to community involvement, Leadership Through Service (LTS) offers an open and welcoming space in which to build friendships, develop leadership skills, and deepen awareness of local and global issues. Through a variety of service activities and experiences, LTS students will explore the city of Boston, make positive changes in the community, and connect these experiences to their academic learning and to leadership development.
Sign on to the LTS Learning Portal.
monthly service
The SLCA Office hosts monthly service projects to give students an opportunity to explore community service and learn more about a variety of issues and community organizations. Past trips have included packaging school materials for homeless children at Cradles to Crayons, invasive species removal with the Esplanade Association, building a new shelter with Project Hope, packaging meals for the terminally ill at Community Servings, and leading art projects with an after-school program.
September: Esplanade Clean-up, Sept. 6. Email Ashley_Tarbet@emerson.edu
October: Pumpkin Festival, Oct. 18
November: Homelessness and Hunger, TBA
December: Boston Living Center Holiday Crafts, TBA
February: Best Buddies, TBA
March: On the Rise, TBA
April: Emerson Action Day, Apr. 11
resident service
Resident Assistants (RAs) organize a service project each semester for their residents. If you live on campus, talk to your RA about the service project for the semester.
If you are an RA, the SLCA office is always glad to meet with you to help you plan your service project. Also, see our Seven Steps to Stellar Service for ideas.
service networking Dessert Reception
The Service Networking Dinner is an opportunity for service-oriented student leaders who are incorporating service into their organization’s work to network and discuss ideas and challenges. Participants learn more about effectively planning a service experience that can foster teamwork, educate on an issue, and build professional skills. Any group who has participated in service or wants to learn more about group service is welcome to attend. We ask that each group send one or two leaders to represent the organization. This year's reception will be held Monday, November 17 from 6-8 pm in the Multipurpose Room. Email Suzanne_Hinton@emerson.edu for more information.
social justice leadership grants
Individual students, student organizations, and student coalitions are eligible to apply for Social Justice Leadership Grants that can support projects which develop students’ leadership skills while addressing issues of community involvement, service and organizing, social justice, and/or diversity.
Students and student groups can submit applications which outline their leadership in the areas of service, community involvement, and diversity and which describe a proposed project to be funded by the award in the amount of $350.
Funds can be used for expenses associated with events, projects, activities, and leadership trainings that relate to the themes of community involvement, social justice, and/or diversity issues. These projects can include an Emerson event, materials for a class project, or attending a conference on student leadership in service or diversity work.
In addition to addressing social justice themes, the projects must demonstrate that they will enhance students’ leadership skills. Funds cannot be used to cover equipment costs nor can they be used to compensate students for their time. Funds should be expended by April 15th, 2008. Recipients will make a brief presentation about the project to the members of PRISM and others at the end of the semester.
Sponsored by the Office of Service Learning and Community Action, PRISM (Perspectives on Race, Identity, Sexuality and Multiculturalism), and the Office of Student Life.
Download the Social Justice Leadership Grant Application.
