Student volunteer placement programs

Development and Emergency Practice Collaborative Fieldwork Program (2010)

Oxford Brookes University (UK)

Oxford Brookes’ Masters degree in Development and Emergency Practice (DEP), founded in 1991, is known world-wide for its practice base and strong culture of student/practitioner collaboration. The program is above all multi-disciplinary: each year students come from all backgrounds, either as experienced aid workers or those new to the field. A central objective of the program relates to the attitudes and behaviors of aid workers working among vulnerable communities. To these ends DEP’s Collaborative Fieldwork Program (CFP) seeks to equip students with skills and attitudes for improved humanitarian engagement, achieved through placements with humanitarian organizations and collaborative community level field trips. Visit the website>>

Learning through Community Service (2011)

University of Western Sydney (Australia)

UWS launched Learning through Community Service (LCS) in 2006 as a mandatory course for UWS School of Education students to engage with and serve a community by devising, developing, delivering and documenting a project that utilizes the theory, knowledge and skills they have obtained within their academic studies. Projects undertaken by LCS students have included assisting with literacy programs, developing promotional materials for a group, creating resources for a centre for students with disabilities, publishing a book to be sold to make money for a not-for-profit organization, or developing an advocacy campaign for a local group who requires additional volunteers. LCS is delivered within a flexible academic course that includes 50 hours of academic work and 150 hours of community engaged service. Learn more>>

Spanish University Volunteers in United Nations facing the Millennium Development Goals (2011)

Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (Spain)

Spanish University Volunteers in United Nations facing the Millennium Development Goals aims to promote education for development between the university and the community by sending university students to undertake projects in developing countries identified by UN Volunteers in issues related to the main aspects affecting development today: environment, poverty reduction, education, human rights, health, and gender. The program is run through a network of Spanish state-run universities together with United Nations Volunteers. It was conceived by UAM’s Cooperation and Solidarity Action Bureau that coordinates the network of universities and acts as a focal point for UNV. Learn more>>
Student Community Engagement (2009)

University of Brighton (UK)

The Student Community Engagement program (SCE) in the Community University Partnership Programme (Cupp) at the University of Brighton works across the university to match the skills and abilities of different student groups with the needs of local voluntary organizations working to address marginalization and disadvantage. Cupp designs modules which enable students to take initiative and leadership in selecting a project and either to work to a brief set by a community organization or to suggest an intervention that they would like to undertake. Assessment tasks involve practical work, analysis and reflection and enable students to gain academic credit for a particular community-based intervention. Contrary to more traditional service-learning or placement modules, students are encouraged to question and challenge the approaches they come into contact with and to take a rights-based rather than a welfare perspective on questions of marginalization and social justice. Brighton has also partnered with the University of Dzemal Bijedic Mostar in Bosnia to help that university implement a similar program. Learn more on Cupp’s website>>

Student Initiatives@MGD aka “One-Stop Service” (2010)

Stellenbosch University (South Africa)

The One-Stop Service is the starting point and hub for all student volunteer community engagement projects at Stellenbosch University. A full time staff member is responsible for planning programs that build capacity amongst the students and oversees student projects. The One-Stop Service brings together all the stakeholders involved in student volunteer community engagement at Stellenbosch University, including representatives from community organizations, to make sure that student projects are operating on best-practice principles and receiving the support they deserve. By partnering with established community organizations and service agencies, students engage with communities and address developmental challenges in collaboration with professional development organizations. Training programs for student leaders and volunteers build capacity to deliver projects adding value to established development activities. Student leaders learn practical networking and relationship building skills in the process. Visit the project’s website>>

Student Volunteers Bureau (2009, 2011)

Al-Quds University (Palestine)

Palestinian students are required to complete 120 hours of community service in order to graduate. To harness and coordinate these volunteer efforts, AQU created the Student Volunteers Bureau (SVB). Building on years of experience by AQU’s Community Action Center in managing volunteers and working with community organizations, the SVB recruits students, provides them with training on volunteerism, building and coordinating volunteer groups, critical thinking in problem solving, and building community partnerships. The volunteers work in groups of 30 headed by a squad leader who receives extra training in management. By providing and creating resources, and training future leaders in the community, the SVB ensures that students’ volunteer experiences are empowering and effective. The SVB is a relatively new program, but it has already had great success in expanding its volunteer ranks and building up partnerships with local NGOs and community members. The SVB takes into account feedback from student volunteers and community partners as it continues to improve on its model, which AQU hopes will be adopted by other Palestinian universities.

Student Community Action Newcastle (SCAN) (2009)

Newcastle University (UK)

SCAN is one of the UK’s longest-standing university student civic engagement initiatives, supporting numerous excellent initiatives. Amongst these is “Success 4 All”, a social enterprise that runs after-school study support and language clubs for schools and community groups, supporting children with their homework and helping them prepare for exams. The project specifically works in deprived areas in the city of Newcastle upon Tyne, and also reaches out particularly to children from black and minority ethnic families. Success 4 All has attracted many student volunteers, who gain great experience working with children, all under the guidance of a qualified and experienced teacher. These student volunteers provide study support to help young people with their homework and English and math tutoring through interactive games. Volunteers from SCAN have also helped with the ‘Summer School for Children of Refugees & Asylum Seekers’. This event included Africa Day on Tuesday, South Asia Day on Wednesday, China Day on Thursday, and finally England Day, providing activities such as cookery, fashion, mask making, drumming, Bollywood dancing & drama, and storytelling. The project has expanded to include English tutoring for foreign-language-speaking pupils and now has Spanish, French, German, Dutch, Italian, and Mandarin clubs. SCAN and Success 4 All have jointly attained the National Mentoring + Befriending Foundation Approved Provider Standard. Learn more on SCAN’s website>>