Community Service at NYU Here We Go!

If you are not interested in cutting your summer break short or perhaps you already have a very busy schedule for your semester, the days of services are a good option for you to have a short term service commitment. Every NYU school and Residence Hall offers “drop in” service opportunities for all the Violet community. For instance, the Liberal Studies school allows students to volunteer for an afternoon at the Violent Pantry; a student-led food pantry that aims to tackle food insecurity for LS core and Global Liberal Studies undergraduates. Similarly, the Directors of Service in each residence hall lead initiatives like park cleanups or volunteering at animal shelters for those students living on campus to have easy access to service opportunities. These initiatives will not take more than half a day and often occur on weekends, making it easier for students to open space in their schedules and join the volunteering community at NYU.

If Public Service is something that you would like to pursue as a career, you will need more than a Day of Service to get the experience you need. Every year NYU hosts a service and volunteer fair for students to connect with local nonprofits and community based organizations that will offer them long term positions to pursue social service. Many students find internships through this fair or join an on campus service club that will help them get training in critical service learning and ethical humanitarianism. If you miss the service fair, you can also participate in the Social Impact Hub organized by the Wasserman Center for Career Development. They will offer you advising sessions on how to build a service oriented resume and balance your academics with your volunteer work, as well as invite you to mixers where you can connect with professionals, researchers, and staff members that have experience in public service. Another opportunity for those who want to take advantage of their summer is the Public Service Summer Institute, an initiative created by the office of Global Awards that aims to train students on how to write strong cover letters and essays to apply for service fellowships and programs. As part of this program, you will receive a personalized for year program of all the scholarships, fellowships, and opportunities you can apply to have a well rounded public service career.

Alternative Break is a week-long experiential learning program that gives students the opportunity to learn about the political and social dynamics of a community while becoming agents for collaborative social change. This program can take place either during January term or Spring break, and it allows students to travel around the globe to volunteer and support different organizations that aim to alleviate public health problems, food insecurity, economic inequality, environmental crisis, among others. This program is NOT a form of voluntourism; it is an educational experience that seeks to challenge participants to engage with social issues by becoming active citizens who are committed to create meaningful change. Upon return from this program, students are expected to translate what they learned and become empowered to make informed decisions that result in a positive impact for their home community.