Service Opportunities

Black Student Union Leadership And Mentoring Program (LAMP)

The mission of the Black Student Union Leadership and Mentoring Program (LAMP) is to assist first-year students in their transition to campus life. Designed to provide freshmen with a support network that encourages academic and social exploration, LAMP matches each participant with a mentor from the sophomore, junior, or senior class. Recognizing the valuable resource that undergraduate students can be for each other, LAMP’s goal is to have mentors assist first-year students in locating resources that will enable them to achieve greater success in their Princeton careers. Sign up now to be mentored, or to be a mentor! (www.princeton.edu/~lamp)

Pace Center

The mission of the Pace Center is to give concrete expression to the value that the University assigns to civic engagement as a component of its educational mission. The center is a coordinating agency for University/community/regional/national/and international service initiatives and provides opportunities for service learning and functions as a centralized source of information concerning Princeton/community collaborations. The center provides training, builds collaboration among the individuals who do outreach work, and facilitates assessment of programs and initiatives. It is located at 246 Frist Campus Center. (258-7260, pace.princeton.edu)

Community House

In 1969, Community House was founded by an interracial group of undergraduate students. The original house was established in the John Witherspoon neighborhood in the town of Princeton. Currently located in the Carl A. Fields Center for Equality and Cultural Understanding, Community House maintains its commitment and ties to local residents by serving as a community action center, centralizing the efforts of students and campus organizations who work in the local area.

At the elementary school level, Community House volunteers — all Princeton students — work at local pre-schools, tutor at the Clay Street Learning Center, tutor John Witherspoon Middle School students in the Step-UP! program, and act as mentors for seventh and eighth graders in the Big Brothers/Big Sisters program. At the high school level, volunteers teach an SAT prep program, help coach sports teams, work with the Princeton Pep Squad, and mentor high school students in need of additional motivation and support. Community House offers English as a Second Language (ESL) classes, an English conversation group for adults, and a health program that brings University students to local schools to teach classes on health and hygiene. Additionally, students can participate in a variety of one-time and annual projects, or take advantage of summer service opportunities offered by Community House. (609-258-6136, www.princeton.edu/~house)

Student Volunteers Council

The Student Volunteers Council (SVC), is student-led, promotes an ethic of community involvement, and works to foster and strengthen partnerships within the community. SVC builds upon the assets of students and other community members and encourages a holistic vision of our community through awareness, action, and reflection. More than 2,000 students participate in SVC projects during the academic year. They work with adults and the elderly; tutor children, teenagers, young mothers, and prison inmates; act as big brothers and sisters for area children; address social issues such as hunger, poverty, and urban renewal; volunteer for schools and organizations with programs for autistic children and disabled adults; translate for patients in the Princeton Medical Center; work with children in recreational settings; and are trained as emergency medical technicians to serve with local rescue squads.

SVC coordinates Community Action, Princeton's community service orientation program, in which more than 100 freshmen work in a soup kitchen in Philadelphia, restore houses in Trenton with Habitat for Humanity, and build community gardens.

SVC also organizes domestic break service trips, the Special Olympics Track and Field Competition, and sponsors more than 20 summer service internships, placing students in social service agencies throughout the United States for eight- to 10-week internships. (258-5557, www.princeton.edu/~svc)

The Princeton-Blairstown Center

The Princeton-Blairstown Center is a not-for-profit organization closely affiliated with the University that operates programs year-round for urban youth and their families. Experiential and adventure-based activities, youth projects, and leadership training are typical Blairstown programs. Blairstown hires college students to serve as counselors and support staff. (258-3340, web.princeton.edu/sites/pbcenter)

Community Action

Community Action is a pre-orientation program sponsored by the Student Volunteers Council and led by upperclass students that is designed to promote an ethic of service and community awareness among undergraduates, foster productive collaboration between the University and surrounding communities, and provide quality leadership opportunities for upperclass students. CA is the first opportunity for entering students to participate in community service at Princeton. During the week groups comprised of 8-12 first-year students and 3-4 upperclass students spend their days in Princeton, Trenton, and Philadelphia renovating homes, restoring city gardens, serving food in soup kitchens, working with children, and interacting with community members.

Community Action is a great way to meet other freshmen and learn more about Princeton. Each evening, groups go to a designated facility near their service site to relax, cook, eat a meal, engage in discussion with Princeton professors and administrators, and participate in group activities. (258-5557, www.princeton.edu/~svc/ca.html)

Sustained Dialogue

The goal of Sustained Dialogue is to improve campus race relations. Sustained Dialogue is not “just talk,” rather it is “talk with a purpose.” By bringing together concerned community members under the guidance of a moderator, Sustained Dialogue allows participants to explore their feelings in a nonconfrontational setting. This is not a form of mediation or negotiation in which two sides attempt to come to an agreement. Instead, it is a sustained and cooperative exercise in which all participants share views and experiences and learn from others. (258-3053, www.princeton.edu/~sd)

Ethnic Heritage Celebrations and Festivals

A number of ethnic and community celebrations are planned and cosponsored yearly by student organizations and University offices and centers. These include ethnic heritage months and other ethnic celebrations, the International Festival, and Communiversity — a “town and gown” event held in the spring.

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In addition to these events and organizations, college councils, eating clubs, and student clubs frequently organize opportunities for service and civic engagement.

top | July 2007