Partnering with University of Mary Washington
We value our community partners and appreciate your interest in working with University of Mary Washington. There are many ways to partner with UMW to accomplish your organization’s goals. You may wish to recruit student volunteers for your projects, find an intern, or work with faculty to create a unique learning experience for students while accomplishing community-driven goals. Or just have a question, issue, or project that you’d like some university assistance with? Reach out to us and we will do our best to make a connection.
Recruit Student Volunteers
Our students are eager to find meaningful volunteer experiences and learn more about community issues. There are two ways to list your volunteer opportunity:
- List a one-time volunteer opportunity and recruit student volunteers.
- Seek volunteers for an ongoing volunteer opportunity.
Please note that although we will publicize your opportunity, we cannot guarantee volunteers. Encourage a successful volunteer relationship by providing meaningful, challenging projects, and submitting the request several weeks in advance. We also encourage you to learn more about how to work successfully with UMW students.
Find an Intern
If you are interested in creating an internship opportunity for students, please visit the UMW Center for Career and Professional Development (CCPD) website and learn how to list your internship in their online Handshake program. Or, if you would like assistance with listing your internship, please refer to this CE Internship Guide and then reach out to CCPD staff for help. By signing up for an internship with the Center for Career and Professional Development, you will receive invitations to bi-annual job fairs, volunteer fairs, and other opportunities to present your internships to students. Also, here is more information about working with our students.Â
Work with Faculty and UMW Classes
Faculty are often looking for partners and projects for their community-engaged classes. There are many opportunities to work with faculty and UMW classes to accomplish your community-oriented goals. Have a question, issue, or project that you’d like some university assistance with? Reach out to us and we will do our best to make a connection.
Here are some examples of ways to collaborate with UMW faculty and staff:
1. Collaborate on a research or data management project: Interested in collecting, managing, or analyzing data for your program or clients? Submit your project idea and we will share it with faculty who will reach out to you directly if it is a good fit.
2. Provide a learning opportunity for a class: Have a unique volunteer opportunity, or a program that you think is a good fit for a class in Sociology, Education, Business, or Environmental Science? Interested in sharing information about your program with students, or visiting a class to recruit potential volunteers? Instructors are often interested in having guest speakers who can share information about a local nonprofit or community program.
3. Ask for help with a project: Need a new website, marketing plan, or database? Submit your project idea and we will share it with faculty who will reach out to you directly if it is a good fit.
4. Recruit board members and committee members or ask for help with strategic planning, etc. Many of our faculty have unique skills and may be willing to help serve on a board or committee. Submit your request for board members and we will share it with faculty and staff who will reach out to you directly if it is a good fit.
5. Have another idea about how to collaborate? Submit your project idea here and we will share it with faculty who will reach out to you directly if it is a good fit.