what we do

Volunteer Programs

Get involved in one of theses Public Service Center-sponsored volunteer activities or look below for more information about how to find your own volunteer opportunity.

Freshman Urban Program is a freshman pre-orientation program that introduces students to MIT and the surrounding community through service activities and discussion of urban issues.

The FSILG&D Community Service Challenge is a challenge to MIT students to rally around their fraternities, sororities, independent living groups, and dorms to participate in community service and compete for the Service Cup.

ReachOut: Help Teach a Child to Read is a literacy tutoring program that matches MIT students with children at a local after school center.

Giving Tree is a holiday gift drive that provides over 550 local children with gifts from MIT community members.

The CityDays Serve-Off was a one-day community service event on Tuesday, October 9, for the entire undergraduate and graduate student community. Check back for information about upcoming CityDays events.

Local

If you can’t find what you’re looking for through PSC programs or student service groups, there are a number of ways to volunteer in the community. Come in to the PSC to discover a wide variety service opportunities at nearby community agencies. Stop by room 4-104 to pick up some "Volunteer Resource Guides" about these opportunities or download them here.

Attend a Service Fair to meet representatives from local community organizations face-to-face and find out more about volunteer opportunities with their organizations.

We are also happy to meet with you to help you figure out what you’d like to do. Whether you want help sorting out your ideas, narrowing your focus, or planning a service project of your own, we’d love to sit down and talk with you! Email volunteering@mit.edu to set up a time to meet.

Sign up for the weekly email bulletin that announces upcoming community service activities. Included in the bulletin are both one-time and ongoing volunteer opportunities along with various funded public service activities.

If it’s 3 o’clock in the morning and you want to get started, take a look at these sites:

Volunteer Match has opportunities near MIT and around the nation.
Volunteer Solutions has many local opportunities.
Idealist has local and international opportunities.
People Making a Difference has excellent one-time projects for individuals.

International

Volunteering abroad is an opportunity to share your skills and expertise while getting to know another culture. There are many good reasons to volunteer abroad, including the opportunity to practice a language, gain experience in a field which you have studied, learn more about yourself, and even become a catalyst for positive change!

Whether you have a project in mind, want to brainstorm ideas, or just wish to learn what opportunities are out there, please let us know!

Email psc-intl@mit.edu to set up a time to meet with a PSC staff member. We can help you think through possibilities, address questions, and organize your planning timeline. There are myriad resources on international volunteering, too many to list here. PSC staff, however, can direct you to books, web sites, programs, and individual contacts that may be useful to you in your research and planning. For an abbreviated list of helpful resources, click here (PDF).

Alumni

There are many ways for alumni to volunteer and get involved. Check here for more information.