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Ways to Stay Engaged After Volunteering

Office of Leadership and Service

After serving at a nonprofit organization this semester through a service learning course, we hope you are already thinking about different ways to stay engaged in the UT Tyler community for the remainder of your time at Tyler and beyond. After completing a service learning course, you are able to

  • Exhibit a commitment to social justice.
  • Appreciate people from diverse backgrounds.
  • Demonstrate a commitment to be involved citizens in your communities.
  • Demonstrate an increased sense of vocation.

To get you thinking about where and how you will demonstrate these skill sets, we have created a list of ways to stay engaged now that your service has come to a close.

  1. Enroll in another service learning course next semester! Gain even more valuable hands-on experience as you apply what you are learning in the classroom to real-world situations. Contact the Office of Leadership and Service for a full list of upcoming service learning courses.
  2. Continue volunteering at your service learning organization in the same capacity or find a new role within the agency to gain a broader scope of their mission and how you can help to further it.
  3. Did you become passionate about a community issue after seeing it first-hand at your service learning site? Connect with a faculty member and a community agency to brainstorm ways to engage in a community-based research project together.
  4. Volunteer at a different nonprofit organization that you find interesting and recruit your friends or student group to join you! To learn more about one-time and ongoing service opportunities, stop by the Office of Leadership and Service in UC 3407, send us an email, or call 903.566.7050.
  5. Contribute to the community in which you work, learn about different social, cultural, and economic situations in our society, become aware of different justice issues, and reflect upon how the experiences relate to you and your community.
  6. Get involved with local initiatives by joining nonprofit boards, committees, and the local government while educating yourself and others about pressing issues and the impact they have on your community.
  7. Graduating? Make a difference while making a living! Research national and international year-long service programs! There are hundreds of post-graduation service opportunities worldwide and many of them will provide a monthly stipend, housing, and professional development opportunities. Search www.Idealist.org to get started! Even after you become an alum, you can still track your hours through the UT Tyler GiveBack program. Just make sure you re-register and select the alumni status option.