Community Engagement

Get Involved

Community Engagement Separator A slash icon used to separate content For Students Separator A slash icon used to separate content Get Involved
Students participating in a COAR event "Into the Streets"
Students participating in the COAR event Into the Streets

Get Involved at UMW

Want to get involved in service and volunteer work at UMW? Want to work to create positive community-driven social change? We offer several ways for students to connect to their community, including volunteering, doing an internship, studying abroad, and taking a community-engaged class. Getting involved can help you learn more about the world around you, find out what you want to do with your career, and make a positive difference in the world.

Volunteer

Learn more about our community and real-world issues by volunteering with a local organization or working on a service project. Here are a few good places to start:

Students on an Alternative Service Break trip with Habitat for Humanity, spring 2019.
Students on an Alternative Service Break trip with Habitat for Humanity, spring 2019.
  • Volunteer page: Visit our volunteer page to see current and future volunteer opportunities and events.
  • COAR: Community Outreach and Resources (COAR) is a student group that supports several weekly service projects and six campus-wide events each year. Visit the COAR page to learn how you can involved in weekly and campus-wide volunteer programs.
  • Alternative Service Breaks: Learn more about our Alternative Service Break programs where you can live, learn, and serve over spring break (or summer break) working with a local organization to help build or repair houses in a variety of locations across the U.S.
  • Volunteer with a UMW Service Club: There are several student clubs at UMW that focus on a service mission. Visit MyUMW to explore service clubs at UMW (you may need to cut and paste link into a Chrome browser to open).
  • Register Students to Vote: Work with other students to support civic engagement on campus.
students standing by Downtown Greens sign
Downtown Greens, an urban gardening program in Fredericksburg, offers several internships where students learn about running a nonprofit organization.

Take a Community-Engaged Class

UMW offers several courses that support volunteer work, community engagement, and learning beyond the classroom. These courses provide an opportunity to conduct community-engaged research, volunteer with community organizations, and engage with community issues. To learn more, browse Community Engagement in the Classroom.

Internships

Interested in learning more about community issues, building your job skills, and applying what you have been learning in the classroom? Visit the Center for Career and Professional Development and explore their online Handshake program to search for the perfect internship opportunity.

Study Abroad

Global community engagement provides students with skills that contribute to responsible leadership and engaged citizenship in our increasingly diverse society. Visit the Center for International Education for more information about study abroad programs and community-engaged study abroad opportunities.

 

Community Engagement