Community Partners

Community organizations possess invaluable expertise and experience in demonstrating the ideals of civic engagement. The Center for Student Engagement seeks non-profit and government organizations who wish to join as co-educators by providing valuable opportunities for student involvement. In offering these volunteer co-curricular (not-for-credit) experiences, you are helping to teach students the importance of being informed and responsible citizens.

A major focal point of our partnerships with community organizations is to provide entry-level civic pathways. This means offering opportunities with minimal barriers to participation such as advanced or technical skills, long-term commitments, or significant amounts of training. These types of opportunities allow students to explore community needs and their own values in order to find a cause or organization they wish to pursue farther.

If you have opportunities for students to participate in the work of your organization and you wish to contribute to their educational experience, please consider partnering with the Center for Student Engagement.

Community Partners Opportunities

Community partners have a variety of opportunities to work with the Center for Student Engagement. These include, but are not limited to:

  • Host student volunteers to help with an event or project
  • Participate in campus events, such as information fairs and community service days
  • Participate in Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement Advisory Board
  • Participate in selection committees for student civic engagement recognition programs
  • Participate in planning committees for student/community events
  • Attend the Center for Student Engagement's annual Civic Engagement Recognition Breakfast

Community Partnership Process and Requirements

Community organizations interested in partnering with the Center for Student Engagement can start the process today by completing the steps below.

  1. Fill out our online Community Partner Interest Form. This allows us to learn about your organization and how you hope to partner.
  2. A representative from the Center for Student Engagement will be in contact with you to set up a site visit. The purpose of the site visit is to ensure the partnership is a good fit for the community partner and University. During the site visit, we will go over the function and logistics of the partnership (how the students will serve, how many hours, etc.), and roles and expectations.
  3. Once the site visit is completed, you are recognized as a partner and can work with the Center for Student Engagement to connect with students. The Center for Student Engagement staff will set up a one-hour training for you to get administrative access to the university's volunteer recruitment and tracking platform, unr.givepulse.com.
  4. Implemented in the 2016-17 school year, unr.GivePulse.com is a web-based service that allows university groups as well as community partners to post volunteer opportunities. All students at the university can log in, view all posted volunteer opportunities, and sign up on the site. After participating, students document their hours and notes on their experiences, which are verified by the hosting organization.