Key Center Advice on Service for Student Organizations

Think about your organization’s mission. What kinds of service – and the knowledge and experiences that come with it – would fit with your organization’s purpose or goals? Your service will be more meaningful is it is a good match for your organization.

Meet a Community-Identified Need. Take time to find out what organizations in the community need. The best service and service-learning takes place when we listen well and partner with the community on its needs. You may feel that you have a great idea for a creative way to serve in the community, but it may be something that is really not meeting a need in the community.

Build on Existing Relationships. What kinds of relationships with community organizations do members of your group already have? Ask members of your student organization about these connections and if there are ways your organization can build on that relationship.

Work to Build Sustainable Relationships. Think in terms of relationship building, rather than just finding hours. What is a way you can work in collaboration with a community organization over the long term? Collaborate with the organization about plans for next semester and next year. This makes less work down the road for both your organization and the community organization, which prefer to have long-term multiple interactions with students, rather than one-time volunteers or events. A lot of one-day projects with different organizations are more difficult to coordinate and generally make for a less impactful experience for students.

Reflection is Important. Thinking deeply about the work you’re doing adds a new dimension of meaning to it. So talk as a group about the work, before and after. Often students have different perspectives on the work and this is an opportunity to learn from each other, and be sure your work meshes well with your organization’s purpose and goals. Schedule time to talk about service activities at weekly meetings or after a service event.

Depth is Better than Breadth. It may be better to focus in on one or two issues or community organizations and really expand your work with them. In this way, those organizations benefit from being able to count on the students from your organization, and the students will get more out of the service experience.

Feel free to talk to Key Center staff about what kinds of work you think you or your organization wants to do and how to connect with community organizations doing that work. We can also help with ideas for reflecting, or anything else you’re interested in exploring. We’re at 251-6400 or keyctr@unca.edu. Or stop by our office in Highsmith Union, room 248 (right past the main level front desk on the left).

Last edited by ceander2@unca.edu on February 13, 2012

248 Highsmith University Union, CPO 1200
One University Heights
Asheville, NC 28804
Office: 828.251.6400
Fax: 828.232.2988
Email: keyctr@unca.edu