Students
Welcome to The Office of Service-Learning and Community Outreach (OSLCO) Web page for students! Our name can be more than a mouthful -- hopefully this page can help you figure out what we do and how we can assist you.
The OSLCO helps facilitate a variety of ways for UMass Boston students, staff and faculty to become involved in community service activities and civic engagement.
Volunteering
Being a volunteer can mean a lot of different things. Often what comes most easily to mind when thinking of volunteering is "direct service" -- working to help people meet their immediate needs, i.e. serving food at a homeless shelter, tutoring children having trouble in school, etc. There is always a great need for this kind of direct service work. But there are also opportunities available for anyone looking for something that involves working for long-term solutions to the causes of social inequalities and injustices. Volunteers can work in advocacy, political action and combinations of direct service and efforts to affect structural change and raise awareness on issues like homelessness, environmental degradation, AIDS, racism, etc.
- Come to our office to find volunteer opportunities and internships that match your skills and interests with community needs.
- Join a student service club if you are interested in volunteer work with other UMB students creating a culture of volunteering on campus.
- Participate in one of our annual events!
Service-Learning
Interested in connecting community engagement with your academic studies? Come to our office to talk about ideas for Service-Learning projects that you could make part of one of your current courses or an independent study or research project. Academic service projects must be approved by Academic Departments or course instructors.
Student Groups
Our office can help your student group plan a group service event or help you advise your group in forming a partnership with a community agency.
Come to our office to find out about grants available to student groups for community related projects.
Events to take part in
- UMass Boston Good Neighbor Day – Every April we sponsor this event to bring UMB community members together with members of nearby communities. Past activities have included day-long projects like painting shelters, organizing recovery resources, planting gardens, preparing meals for AIDS patients, and sorting food for a food bank.
- Helping Hands – During the Holiday season, participants join homeless and foster children through the Hyde Park Office of the Department of Social Services. Activities have included individual gift giving, as well as drop-in gift wrap services and holiday parties.
- Volunteer Fair – Members of the campus community discover opportunities to work with agencies addressing issues of immigration and citizenship, hunger, health, homelessness, youth, senior citizens, the environment, the arts, domestic violence, etc.
- Scholarships for Service
- Alternative Spring Break
- JUMPSTART (visit http://www.jstart.org/)
- Raise Your Voice activities
To contact us:
Jain Ruvidich-Higgins
OSCLO Coordinator
617-287-7917
j.ruvidich-higgins@umb.edu