Stories of Service

Longhorn Crystal Galvan, a part-time AmeriCorps member with the Texas Campus Compact Students in Service Program, is a Student Teacher at Odom Elementary School. She has helped in a first-grade classroom and cites promoting the importance of taking care of the Earth in a social studies lesson as a stand-out experience.

During Crystal’s service involvement at Odom  Elementary, she had the opportunity to work with 1st grade students who shared backgrounds similar to her own, which allowed her to gain a greater sense of pride in her roots and culture. Crystal is well on her way towards completing the 300 hours of service requirement for the Texas Campus Compact Students in Service Program and is a shining example of the impact UT students are making in the local Austin community.  Crystal shares that , “It was significant to be seen and valued as a role model to my students,” as her service commitment comes to an end.

If you would like to learn more about how to participate in the Texas Campus Compact Students in Service Program, contact the VSLC at 512.471.6161 to find out about our Fall 2011 information sessions.

Service can be very powerful for all parties involved, from committees to community members to strong-armed volunteers. Below, hear the story of how planning a day of service to beautify an underserved Austin neighborhood made an impact on UT students:

UTVolunteer.org is a resource offered by the Volunteer and Service Learning Center for students and nonprofits or community organizations to link up.

Students can search engagement opportunities by keyword or date as well as view a volunteer calendar.

Nonprofits or community organizations can register on the website and post openings for volunteers or interns.

Using UTVolunteer.org is a simple, straightforward way to find or post public service opportunities.

Volunteering is a fantastic experience, but finding a place to volunteer can be, well, an adventure. Whether you have a location in mind where you want to help out or need somewhere close to campus, there is certainly a convenient opportunity.

We’ve put together a geographic guide for you to start thinking about where you can serve:

View UT Austin Volunteer and Service Learning Center (VSLC) Service Locations and Organizations as a map