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Service in higher education shows up in a lot of different ways. Some opportunities are quick one-time events, while others are semester-long commitments or even part of a course. This page gives a quick snapshot of common types of service and the kinds of initiatives students often see on their campuses.
When people hear the word “service,” they usually picture volunteering at a soup kitchen, and that is great. But service in higher education comes in many forms, and each one helps students grow in a different way as leaders and community members.
Service in higher education shows up in a lot of different ways. Some opportunities are quick one-time events, while others are semester-long commitments or even part of a course. This page gives a quick snapshot of common types of service and the kinds of initiatives students often see on their campuses.
When people hear the word “service,” they usually picture volunteering at a soup kitchen, and that is great. But service in higher education comes in many forms, and each one helps students grow in a different way as leaders and community members.
Types of Service
Types of Service
Volunteering
Volunteering
Volunteering is something you choose to do on your own. You give your time and effort because you want to help, not because anyone is requiring it. You might sign up for a food bank shift, help at a campus event, or show up when a friend asks for extra hands. It is flexible, often one time or short term, and driven by your interest and availability.
Community Service
Community Service
Community service is unpaid work that benefits the community, but it is usually tied to a requirement or formal expectation. It might be connected to a class, scholarship, student conduct, or a program that asks you to complete a certain number of hours. Even if it starts as something you “have to” do, it can still create real impact and sometimes grows into ongoing volunteering.
Service Learning
Service Learning
Service learning is learning through doing. A course partners with a nonprofit or community group, and students complete projects that meet community needs while earning a grade. It connects academic content to real situations and reminds students that their major can matter beyond the classroom.
Civic Engagement
Civic Engagement
Civic engagement is about showing up for your community and paying attention to public life. Students might vote, join a forum, attend a meeting, or advocate for something they believe in. It is like being the one friend who actually reads the campus wide emails. Civic engagement builds awareness, responsibility, and a habit of taking action instead of sitting on the sidelines.
Social Activism
Social Activism
Social activism is where service meets justice. It includes raising your voice, organizing events, making art, or pushing for policy change around issues that matter. It is not just about being loud, it is about being intentional and informed. Many students discover their leadership voice through the causes they care deeply about.
Social Entrepreneurship
Social Entrepreneurship
Social entrepreneurship is for the big idea people. You see a need and create something to meet it, such as a business, app, campaign, or ongoing program. It feels a little like Shark Tank, but the pitch is about solving social problems instead of just making profit. This type of service blends innovation with purpose and turns creative ideas into action.
Philanthropy and Fundraising
Philanthropy and Fundraising
Philanthropy and fundraising are about making things happen behind the scenes. Students raise money, collect supplies, or organize donors for organizations and causes. Convincing friends to buy cupcakes for a cause or running a drive for a shelter are real leadership experiences. Fundraising builds skills in planning, communication, and mobilizing people around a mission.
Common Campus Service Initiatives
Common Campus Service Initiatives
🧹 One-time volunteer events:
Short, drop-in style opportunities like food bank shifts, campus cleanups, park or beach cleanups, or holiday projects. Students sign up for a single day or a few hours, which makes it easy to try service without a big time commitment.
📅 Ongoing volunteer programs:
Regular placements where students serve weekly or monthly with the same community partner, such as mentoring youth, helping at a shelter, supporting a clinic, or tutoring. These build deeper relationships, skills, and a better understanding of community needs over time.
🌎 Campus-wide days of service:
Large events that mobilize many students, faculty, and staff on the same day across multiple sites in the community. Often branded with a special name or tradition, they highlight the university's public mission and introduce new students to service.
🧳 Alternative Break trips:
Multi-day service experiences during fall, winter, or spring breaks where students travel together, live in community, and serve with local organizations around a specific social issue, such as hunger, houselessness, environmental justice, or education. Reflection and learning are built into the schedule.
📚 Service-learning courses:
Academic classes where a structured service project is tied directly to course content. Students work with a community partner, complete reflection assignments, and are graded on both their academic work and their ability to connect theory with practice.
🗳️ Civic engagement and democracy programs:
Efforts that help students participate in public life, like voter registration and turnout drives, issue forums, town halls, letter-writing campaigns, or partnerships with local government and advocacy groups. These focus on voice, policy, and participation, not just volunteering.
💸 Philanthropy and giving campaigns:
Fundraising events, donation drives, and resource collections that support nonprofits and community partners. Examples include supply drives, charity walks, benefit concerts, or crowdfunding campaigns led by student groups.
🤝 Community partnership and mentorship programs:
Long-term collaborations where student organizations or departments partner with a specific school, neighborhood, or agency. Students may return year after year, mentor the same group, or co-create projects with community members, turning service into a sustained relationship.
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