community engagement

Campus-wide Events

Community Engagement Separator A slash icon used to separate content COAR Separator A slash icon used to separate content Campus-wide Events

Students get ready for service project during Into the Streets.

Get Involved, Make Connections, and Make a Difference

COAR sponsors several different campus-wide volunteer opportunities each year. Come volunteer with us to learn more about the City of Fredericksburg, earn service hours, and meet other students who are passionate about service.

Accessibility: Questions about the accessibility of our events? Reach out to us with questions at sdewees@umw.edu.

COAR offers the following annual events:

  • Into the Streets
  • Pay it Forward Day
  • Head Start Wrapping Party & Gift Box Drive 
  • MLK Day of Service
  • Volunteer Fair
  • Good Neighbor Day
  • Earth Day Clean Up

 

Into the Streets

Students on the UC steps during Into the Streets.

This event provides the opportunity for students to get “Into the Streets” and learn more about our Fredericksburg community and make a difference through service. Students can choose to participate in one of several community service projects at local nonprofit agencies. Past projects have included yard work for different organizations, sorting books for Fredericksburg’s free mobile library, making meals for the homeless shelter, and river beautification with Friends of the Rappahannock. This year, Into the Streets will be held on Saturday, September 20, 2025, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM (3 service hours).

Pay it Forward Day

Pay it Forward Day functions similarly to events like Into the Streets and Good Neighbor Day. Our volunteers are sent out on several different community service projects, focusing on compassion and kindness. During the week leading up to Pay it Forward Day, COAR staff and council members will table on the UC Patio and in front of Lee Hall, giving volunteers the chance to paint kindness rocks, fill out gratitude cards for rubber ducks, and do kindness challenges. This year, Pay it Forward Day will be held on Saturday, October 18, 2025, 9:00 – 12:00 (3 service hours).

Three people are posing together with their heads inside of a holiday themed wrapping paper covered frame that says "Head Start Party 24." All three are wearing holiday themed sweaters and smiling.

Head Start Gift Box Drive

Each year, COAR conducts a gift box drive for children enrolled in the local Virginia Preschool Initiative and Head Start programs. You can find some FAQs about the program here.  This is a campus and community-wide effort to provide preschoolers in Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania with toys, winter clothes, and school supplies before the holiday season. Students wrap gift boxes at the annual wrapping party to prepare for the campus-wide gift drive. Then faculty, staff, and students check out the boxes to fill up with items such as storybooks, coloring books, crayons, hats, gloves, and small toys. This year, the Head Start Gift Wrapping Party will be held on Friday, November 7, 2025, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM (2 service hours).

Martin Luther King Day of Service

Our newest event, MLK Day of Service is a collaborative effort between COAR and the James Farmer Multicultural Center (JFMC). It is a celebration of Dr. King and his lifelong dedication to building a “beloved community” where equity, justice, and freedom are guaranteed for all people. Through a variety of projects, MLK Day of Service intends to keep his dream alive. In 2026, the MLK Day of Service will be held in January.

Four people standing in a line with Sammy D. Eagle mascot in the middle. Sammy has wings and a heart headband on. There are hearts plastered all over the front of the tables they are standing behind, which are covered in a navy blue table cloth.

Volunteer Fair

Volunteer Fair is an opportunity for UMW students to get connected with local non-profits in

Fredericksburg. Unlike most of COAR’s events, students will not be volunteering on this day. Rather, they will have the chance to learn about various non-profits from booths run by the

organizations themselves. This is a great chance for students to discover new volunteer opportunities, build their resumes, and make an impact in a new way! In 2026, the Volunteer Fair will be held in February.

Good Neighbor Day
Two people standing in a back yard in front of a shed. They are working together to scoop dead leaves into a trash bag with a rake.

Join us for a morning of service where we will help our UMW neighbors with yard work and other outdoor activities. Sign up for this volunteer project and then join us for a lunch on Ball Circle afterwards.  You will be awarded 3 service hours for participating in this event and get to know your neighbors! This event is an extension of COAR’s mission to connect University of Mary Washington students to the Fredericksburg community. In 2026, Good Neighbor Day will be held in March.

Engage with the Earth Day

COAR’s Engage with the Earth Day is an opportunity for UMW students to sign up for a range of different volunteer projects helping the Fredericksburg community. This event will be held in April. COAR will partner with such organizations as Downtown Greens, Tree Fredericksburg, and Friends of the Rappahannock to help with weeding gardens, picking up litter from city streets, and mulching trees in local parks.

Community Engagement