The Office of Student Leadership and Civic Engagement, or SLCE, will host its fall volunteer fair on Sept. 14 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Don Taft University Center Spine. The event provides students with the opportunity to meet with community affiliates and student service organizations and learn about volunteer opportunities. SLCE typically holds a volunteer fair each fall and winter semester.
“It’s definitely a good resource for students to feel out what’s around and what opportunities are available to them,” said Mitchell Gilliland, junior marine biology major, who went to the volunteer fair last year.
Gilliland said he happened to stumble upon the fair last year and that the fair is a good way for students to see what is available to them.
Garrett Horejsi, graduate assistant for student leadership and student engagement, said that the fair also offers options for students to complete their ExEL graduation requirement. Students are required to gain experiential learning experiences, which can be met through volunteering.
“I think now with [volunteering] becoming an option for the requirement for graduation we’re hoping that we see an influx in the number of students who choose to do volunteer hours,” said Horejsi. “I think these experiential education opportunities give students that chance and they give them the chance to apply it and apply it now. Specifically, volunteering gives you a sense of broader community.”
Horejsi also said that the fair is designed to be non-committal, so students are welcome to come and check out the estimated 20-25 community affiliates and not feel pressured to make any decisions.
Students who attend the fair will also be entered to win one of three prizes raffled off at the end of the event. By visiting a table at the fair, students will receive a raffle ticket; if students visit more than one table, they’ll receive more than one ticket. To find out which community affiliates will be at the event, students can visit the SLCE Orgsync page or follow them on social media where the office will post a list.
