Fill out the following required ACC forms by clicking on the form button to the right or below.
What do you need to do to get ready for community engagement?
The most important thing to remember is that the relationship you have with the partner is reciprocal. Volunteers need to listen carefully to the partner to find out what their authentic needs are, and the partners will provide students with opportunities to meet course objectives. Please watch the video below to learn how we approach reciprocity at ACC.
Reciprocity is a fundamental principle of the ACC Service-Learning Program. It helps us ensure that everyone - you, your community partner, and your professor - are equally benefitting from the service partnership. This video introduces you to your role in that reciprocal relationship, as well as strategies for engaging with reciprocity in mind. Click on the video to watch this short introduction to reciprocity!
Notes regarding other forms you might need to fill out:
Many volunteer organizations have their own forms to fill out and/or background checks you'll need to undergo. If completing a background check is a problem, be sure to check for alternatives and/or alert your instructor.
Some organizations also have mandatory training before you can volunteer. This usually counts as part of your volunteer hours--again, ask your instructor!
What else do you need to do to get ready for service-learning?
Be sure you understand your instructor’s assignment(s) before you get started. Read the assignment carefully to understand both what you are expected to do and to understand what the goal of your service is–how is your service experience expected to help apply what you’re learning in class with the real world? If you aren’t sure, ask your instructor.
When we talk about community engagement at ACC, I want to remind you that YOU are an important part of the community and are an equal and active part of this partnership–you are not just a passive participant. At ACC, we understand that 62% of community college students are food or housing insecure, and that transportation and child care can also be hard to find. We will do our best at ACC to make sure that all students are able to participate in community engaged service-learning. If you’re facing an obstacle to your community engagement experience, talk to your instructor.