Submitting a Volunteer Opportunity

While location typically isn’t something that is easy for organizations to control, it can make a huge difference in where a student decides to volunteer. The majority of MIAD students are residents that primarily use the bus for transportation, so locations that are closer to the MIAD campus (273 E Erie) and have a bus line nearby are generally better options for students. That doesn’t mean that a location farther out is not going to get any attention – we do still have commuters that are looking for places closer to home! Just be aware that if your primary location is far from MIAD or not easily accessible by bus, you may not have as many interested students. 

Full-time MIAD students are generally taking anywhere from 12-18 credits per semester, and many are also juggling a job with their schoolwork, so it can be difficult for them to fit volunteering into an already busy schedule. The more flexible the hours for the opportunity are, the more likely you are to have students that can fit the opportunity into their schedule. If your primary opportunity is rigidly scheduled, you may want to consider alternate opportunities to submit alongside it that have a wider range of available hours. Typically once a student finds a space in their schedule they volunteer on a weekly basis, but if the opportunity only takes place during their class hours for example, they won’t be able to sign up. 

In addition to the flexibility of the hours, students need to fulfill 35 hours of volunteer time in a semester, so slightly longer volunteer shifts (3-4 hours) are preferable for most students. A volunteer opportunity that only requires 1-2 hours a week may not provide enough hours for the student to reach their required hours in the time available.

We often get asked if volunteer opportunities have to be art & design related, and the answer is no – volunteer opportunities can be practically anything you might need help with, so long as they’re appropriate for students! However, students are interested in specific activities and topics that may make them more likely to connect with a potential opportunity. Some of the topics that we regularly see interest in are the following:

• Arts & Culture
• Environmental Causes
• Community Building & Mutual Aid
• Mental Health
• Sexual & Reproductive Health
• Access to Basic Resources
• Resources for Minority Groups (especially LGBTQ+)
• Sustainability

Likewise, there are certain activities that students typically gravitate towards, such as:

• Supervising arts & crafts activities
• Graphic design & marketing
• Working in book centers/libraries
• Providing art therapy opportunities
• Restoring & maintaining natural spaces
• Helping children learn about nature
• Helping with urban agriculture
• Providing basic necessities such as food and clothing
• Helping with activities that encourage personal health & wellness

Each student is unique in their interests and there are always students that are interested in opportunities outside of these categories, but if you have the opportunity to offer something related to these topics and activities you may have a better turnout!

Many placements that we get information from provide very broad or basic descriptions of the opportunities that are available to students. While this is completely okay, we’ve found that students can be apprehensive about reaching out to placements if they don’t fully understand the opportunity they’re signing up for. While students don’t need a detailed writeup of every aspect of the opportunity, it helps a lot if they can picture themselves in the role they’ll be fulfilling. Be descriptive – what sorts of activities will they be helping with? Do you have an example of specific projects that have been completed in the past? Will they be working on their own or in a group? What age range of people might they be working with? Will there be a lot of interaction with the public or will they be able to have a ‘quiet’ experience? All of this information can be extremely helpful for students and make them feel more comfortable about reaching out! 

In addition, extra information about a volunteer opportunity can help the Service Learning Coordinator better understand and suggest placements to students that they may not have considered otherwise. The SL Coordinator sends a list of placement suggestions to all students at the beginning of the semester based on their interests and details about their schedule, transportation options, etc. Many students are new to the Milwaukee area and gravitate towards placements that are familiar to them or have a name that clearly expresses the mission of the organization, so suggestions from the Service Learning Coordinator can help students learn about organizations doing work that interests them. 

Students in Service Learning are typically in their Junior year of college, which means that while they are familiar with their experience within the college environment, many of them are just beginning to learn how to interact with the local community both as citizens and as professionals. They may feel inexperienced with their communication abilities and require some extra guidance and clarity when it comes to expectations. While we work with students to encourage them to build their communication skills through their Service Learning placement, supervisors that are able to promptly and clearly communicate responsibilities to the student will help them feel more confident in their roles. 

In addition, communication at the beginning of the semester is vitally important for students. Students are strongly encouraged to reach out to placements as soon as possible and begin their volunteering within the first few weeks of the semester, and if they do not hear back from supervisors within a few days, are encouraged to look into their second or third choice. Your prompt communication helps them get started in a timely manner!