Bryant launches community service database

Blackboard site allows students to search for volunteer opportunities on and off campus.

Designed to help students identify volunteer opportunities, the Bryant Community Service Exchange (BCSE) was unveiled at the first Community Service Fair held last month. The online database was created by Bryant’s Community Service Office – an entity of the Center for Student Involvement – and the University’s chapter of Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE).

The goal of the BCSE is to make it easier for students to find and contact community partners who need volunteers for their organizations. It is updated on a weekly basis with information gathered by the Community Service Office. The site includes descriptions of service projects from 13 student organizations on campus and 73 nonprofit organizations throughout the region.

“We wanted to create a site that could connect everyone in the Bryant community who has a passion for volunteering,” says Brandon Dobro ’10 (Northbridge, MA), a member of SIFE who helped spearhead the creation of the database.

In addition to listings of community service projects, students can provide feedback on their experience with an organization. Moving forward, the goal is to create blogs about volunteering.

“Nonprofit organizations depend on people like us to help them achieve their goals and make a long-lasting impact,” says Dobro, who cites his work last Christmas with Adoption Rhode Island as one of his most memorable volunteer experiences. “If Bryant students learn about the positive effect they can have, they will be successful in whatever lies ahead in the future.”

A desire to help

Alissa Foley ’10 (Atkinson, NH), a student service leader in the Community Service Office, says volunteering helps students reach beyond the ‘Bryant bubble.’

“My hope is that more students enroll in the site not just as part of their classes but because of a personal interest in being an active member of the community,” says Foley, who spent a week last year volunteering in Washington, D.C, with Bryant’s Alternative Spring Break (ASB).

“Getting involved provides students with a better understanding of the issues affecting their communities and helps them sharpen their interpersonal and leadership skills,” she says.

“I think that students really do want to help out, but they don’t always know how to get started,” adds David Gravel ’11 (Fitchburg, MA), a member of SIFE who was involved in the establishment of the BCSE. “Now students have a jumping off point, and I think they will begin to volunteer more.”

Enriching experience

Kristina Pires ’10 (Rehoboth, MA), a student service leader in the Community Service Office, knows firsthand the impact of volunteering. As a sociology and service learning major, she has been a mentor in the Woonsocket Public School System, a tutor for the Providence After School Alliance, and a volunteer for Children’s Friend and Service.

“Taking what I learn in the classroom and relating those ideas and concepts to actual experiences has deepened my educational experience,” says Pires.

Jess Komoroski ’11 (West Islip, NY), who is spending this week in Washington, D.C., as part of this year’s ASB, says she used the BCSE to help her identify an opportunity to volunteer with the Blackstone Valley National Heritage Corridor as part of her MGT 200 course. She is looking forward to using the site to share her experiences with others.

“It is important for students of all concentrations to get involved in the community,” she says. “The opportunities are endless.”

______________________________________________________________

To use the Bryant Community Service Exchange, log onto Blackboard and search Bryant Community Service Exchange under the courses tab.