Clayton State University Human Service Courses Community Service Option

Although books and websites can provide valuable information about human service agencies and initiatives, nothing equals personal experience. Students may earn extra credit points for investing their time and talents in approved nonprofit or public agencies providing services to one or more of the populations typically served by human service organizations.  

Guidelines.

• The service must be broadening.  That is, it must be an activity that the student has not already done.  It must also go beyond standard volunteering in church or school settings (e.g., working in a church nursery or tutoring after school will not count). You must have specific learning goals in mind.

• The service must be approved in advance by the course instructor. A copy of the instructor's confirming e-mail must be attached to your service verification form. 

• Three hours of service will earn 5 pts. Students wishing to earn the maximum of 20 pts can serve the twelve hours over several days or weeks.  The organization being served should be consulted about what would be the most helpful way to donate the time. 

• The service must be documented.  An employee of the organization served should verify in writing the date(s) and hours of your community service activity.  A verification form is available at http://a-s.clayton.edu/harrison/commsvcform.htm 

• A summary of your service experience--that is, a one-paragraph reflection on what you learned or how you were changed--should be posted to the course's Community Service Bulletin Board in Vista.  The reflection should include what you did, where you were, who you worked with, and how the experience impacted you. Make sure your reflection is written in complete, grammatically correct sentences.

Standing Opportunities.

Calvary Refuge Center, the homeless shelter in Clayton County, uses volunteers during the day, in the evenings, and on weekends; to volunteer, call 404/361- 5309.  Clayton County's Kinship Care Resource Center (for grandparents and other relatives raising children who would otherwise be in foster care) offers a variety of service opportunities--from babysitting for an overtaxed grandparent to tutoring to coordinating field trips and other special events; contact Kinship Care at 770/477-3417.

Several other Clayton County programs accept short- and long-term commitments of time and talent. For example, students who enjoy physical activity will find the Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity offers growth-producing experiences; on the website, click the link for volunteers. Habitat appreciates help in the office as well as at home construction sites. 

The United Way of Metro Atlanta offers an online database of volunteer opportunities at http://www.unitedwayatlanta.org/d0-volunteer.asp. Alternatively, students who have a particular field of interest can go directly to United Way's database of metro-area organizations who might need volunteers. Go to http://211online.unitedwayatlanta.org/ and click the Browse Service Categories button.

In September 2005, Clayton State formally partnered with Hands On Atlanta (HOA), a clearinghouse of volunteer opportunities throughout metro Atlanta, to increase student involvement in service learning. Service events are posted on the Hands On Atlanta web site and sent to members in a monthly magazine describing needs, upcoming activities, and accomplishments around Atlanta. To begin your involvement with the organization, you must enroll online (http://www.handsonatlanta.org) as a Hands On Atlanta member. HOA activities often require several or many volunteers at a particular site, so it's wonderful for students who want to work as part of a group.

An alternative form of community service is free service-oriented training. Participating in these training opportunities will add to your personal skills and give you contact with community leaders.  One is CERT (Community Emergency Response Team), the current version of what used to be known as Civil Defense. CERT gives you skills for helping with emergencies such as tornados, floods, terrorist attacks, plane crashes, and the like.  For information about training in Clayton and other metro counties, see http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/CERT/c_ga.htm  

Clayton State's Volunteer Services Resource Office (Room 204 in the University Center) has a list of individual and group service projects appropriate for college students. Volunteer Services is a particularly helpful resource for student organizations wanting to work with the local community. For specifics, drop by the Volunteer Office or e-mail VolunteerServices@mail.clayton.edu.

Students who would like to explore an potential internship site prior to taking HMSV/PSYC 4490 may be able to volunteer on a short-term basis prior to making a commitment to intern. A list of internship sites relevant to the behavioral and social sciences is posted at http://a-s.clayton.edu/4490/internshipsites.htm 

For a broader vision of service learning, see http://www.nationalservice.gov

Last updated: August 8, 2008