CILCE Launches Web Tool to Connect Students With Service Opportunities

The Community Engagement Network (CEN) is officially up and running, the Center for Intercultural Learning and Community Engagement (CILCE) has announced.

CEN is a free Web tool that connects the UST community with organizations seeking volunteers. Already, more than 100 organizations have posted available service opportunities; they range from one-time events to ongoing opportunities.

The database went live in May 2011 thanks to a Gerald and Henrietta Rauenhorst Foundation Solutions Initiative Grant. This funding enabled CILCE and the Office of Service-Learning to bring on three part-time project coordinators who worked with the IRT staff and office staff to create the final product, which uses Samaritan Technologies Volunteer Management Software.

CILCE would like to express its appreciation to Farrah Friedrich and IRT for their help in making CEN possible.

 CILCE encourages the UST community to visit CEN:

1. Log in and update your profile. All current UST students, faculty and staff already have access to this system. They can log in using their UST User ID and password and customize their experience.
2. Search for opportunities. CEN users can search from a list of community partners and volunteer opportunities by location, organization name, type of service, availability, the population served and the language spoken at the opportunity. By choosing Add to My Inquiries, CEN users can record listings that interest them.
3. Contact the organization. The contact information of each organization is available on the Opportunity Details page. Work directly with the organization to arrange your service.
4. Volunteer! Once you have arranged to volunteer with the organization, be sure to check the Opportunity Details page to see if there are training requirements. CEN users can use the database to find service both locally and globally.
5. Record your hours. UST users can track the dates and hours that they volunteer in My LogBook. Since several UST courses, organizations and clubs require service hours, CEN helps take the guesswork out of the process.

For more information contact CILCE, (651) 962-6800.

To search for service opportunitues, just log in to CEN (by clicking on this poster) and follow these five easy steps.