Are you interested in volunteering? Great! As college students, you are often not restricted by the age requirements of younger volunteers and have more flexibility in terms of the hours you are able to help out. You can make a big difference in your community and world!

Many colleges and universities require you to complete service learning projects and/or a set amount of volunteer hours before graduation. Whatever your reasons are for wanting to volunteer, there are plenty of great projects you and your friends can do to help those in your communities. Additionally, volunteer projects that are tailored around your fields of study often can you provide valuable, hands-on experiences in specific trades that you cannot get in the classroom.  Here are a few ideas to get you started:*

• Raise awareness of a world issue (such as AIDS, homelessness, etc) at a fundraiser for your group. For example, students from the Yale School of Art created a fund-raising event in which they discussed the issue of AIDS through a series of readings and remembrances of past AIDS victims. 
•  If you are a musician or just musically talented, put together a band and give free concerts to the community
• Create promotional material for a local non-profit agency
• Present your trade to community members. For example, invite children from local schools to a demonstration on web design or engineering.
• Tutor or mentor students in your community
• Hold a canned goods drive for Thanksgiving or Christmas at your college or universities' gym, or, if the weather permits, outside in a central location
• If there is a grade school near you, provide local students with a fun and safe afterschool environment through programs such as homework help, tutoring, and reading programs 

Many of the ideas listed for High School Clubs would also be appropriate for college students. Click here if you would like to see examples of volunteer projects you and your group can do in your community.

*adapted from "101 Ideas for Combining Service & Learning" http://www.fiu.edu/~time4chg/Library/ideas/html