Opportunities For Students
Benef-action | Service-Learning Courses | Community-Based Research | Internships | Volunteering
Each semester, the Office of Community Service identifies opportunities for individual students, clubs, teams, and classes to volunteer in the local community. Some projects last just a few hours or a day; others ask for an ongoing commitment of a few hours each week. Do you want to pick apples for the regional food bank? Do you want to mentor at-risk kids? Do you want to help build a house with Habitat for Humanity?
- Explore a list of local agencies and community partners
- Student Volunteer Application (Submit this form if you are a student interested in becoming a volunteer and then we will get back to you with relevant opportunities.)
- Service Projects- Make a difference in a community, be it Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, or in another country. For examples of past projects, go to the Honors Forum home page.
- Transportation Support (Find out how to get transportation to your community volunteer placements)
Benef-action
The only SGA sponsored student volunteer club, Benef-Action is dedicated to serving Skidmore's students and the Saratoga community by facilitating community service experiences and publicizing volunteer opportunities. Benef-Action sponsors several sub-groups and special events throughout the year.
Benef-Action Sponsored Events:
- Children's Museum of Saratoga
- Habitat for Humanity
- Make A Difference Day
- Nurturing Education Together
- Kids Fair
- Empty Stockings
- Project Linus
- Saratoga Mentoring
- Special Olympics Swimming
Service-Learning Courses
Service-learning coursework includes community service as an experiential learning technique to deepen students’ understanding of course content, to build their skills in the application of theory to practice, to increase their experiences with diversity, and to develop their interest in and commitment to social action and social problem solving. Service learning is focused on student development, but also provides volunteer and technical resources to communities and strengthens town-gown relations.
Community-Based Research
Community-based research is scholarship (including collaborations between faculty, students, and/or community partners) that is directed toward investigating and solving behavioral, social, educational, and environmental problems.
A great example of community-based research is the Water Resources Initiative
Internships and Careers
Are you interested in doing an internship with a non-profit agency? Are you thinking about a career that helps promote the common good or solves real-world problems? The Office of Career Services has resources to help.
- Search internships
- Search careers for social activism/socially conscious
- Search careers with non-profits
- Idealist Nonprofit Career Videos
Idealist.org is an excellent resource. See interviews with professionals talking about what it is like to work in the nonprofit sector, exploring:
- a typical day of work
- their personal career path
- responsibilities and roles associated with their job
- advice for people looking to start a career in their field
Off-Campus and International Volunteering
Many students participate in volunteer projects during vacation periods and while studying abroad. Various offices on campus offer assistance: The Office of Community Service Programs, The Office of Career Services, and the Office of Off-Campus Study and Exchanges.
