Become More Guide

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Learning Through
Service
For many of you, service has been a part of your high
school experience and you have learned the benefits of
giving back to your local communities. Grand Valley
understands the importance of volunteer opportunities
and encourages students to continue to be involved.
That’s what the idea of Civic Engagement means.
It’s the unique combination of social interaction and
benefitting others all while using your unique talents.
It introduces you to alternate perspectives, including a
social justice perspective. Not only will it prepare you
for a career, but it will also acquaint you with other
kinds of responsibilities as well.
These experiences are the
roots of preparing students
to be active, informed and
engaged public citizens.
—Melissa Baker-Boosamra, Associate
Director of Student Life, Civic
Engagement and Assessment
There are endless ways to engage locally at Grand
Valley, and the university provides countless ways to
interact with the surrounding community. Find
information and opportunities on everything from
volunteering and fundraising, to voting, working on a
board or getting involved in service learning. These are
the kinds of skills and experiences that give you a leg
up on your competition for that dream job. To start
making a difference, visit gvsu.edu/service.
CSLC
Community Service
Learning Center
The Community Service Learning Center (CSLC)
The Community Service Learning Center is an invaluable starting
point for making connections and finding opportunities to volunteer.
Consultants and interns will gladly pair you with organizations they
work with, locally and abroad, so that you find a way to help with
what interests you.
“It’s great experience for students shifting
from school to the real world. Students
should start finding out in college
what they’re passionate about, whether
that be politics or volunteering, or
groups of people like refugees, and they
can continue building their community
after they graduate.”
—Danielle Tanner
Events New and Old
The CSLC sponsors a few major events every year, but the fall
semester is a big time for involvement. First, the national Make a
Difference Day will be held on Saturday, October 22 this year. The
event begins on the Allendale Campus, at the Russel H. Kirkhof
Center. Volunteers will be bussed to various organizations in the
greater Grand Rapids area for a day of volunteering. This is a great
event to start getting involved and to feel good about making a
difference in the community.
The CSLC also puts on monthly blood drives and campus-wide
days of service. New this fall is the Student Civic Assembly, held
the week of Sept 26. Each night from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. discussions
will be held on how to be an engaged citizen on campus, how to
have civil discourse and how the First Amendment applies to being
on campus. The week will conclude on Friday with an opportunity to
get registered to vote and a “Rock the Vote” concert.
BECOME MORE SUPPORTIVE