Student Service Projects

This past school year, we partnered with six different community partners including: Granite School District, Free Minds Book Club, Catholic Community Services, SLCC Writing Center, Salt Lake Harm Reduction, and Best Friends Animal Society.

Service projects have involved kit-packing, building animal shelters, letter writing, and more to support our community partners. All service projects include a reflection component. Reflections allow participants to move from a service to community-engaged lens, understand different social issues, and make meaning of the service.

Thank you to our community partners for collaborating with Salt Lake Community College for our Monthly Service Projects. If you are interested in partnering with us, please contact Savannah O’Sickey using the contact information listed below.

Make sure you have a MySLCCLife account to support your search for a service opportunity that matches your interests and schedule. Create an account with MySLCCLife here. After signing up, click the left-hand bar and click ‘Service Opportunities’ to discover upcoming one-time and ongoing opportunities. More information about MySLCCLife can be found here.

One-time service opportunities are singular events hosted by community partners. One-time service opportunities often require less time commitment and offer more flexibility to choose when you serve. Examples include health fairs, benefit concert, fundraiser race, community events, etc.

Ongoing service opportunities involve a continued commitment (weekly, monthly, etc.) to ensure longstanding service with a community partner. Consistency and relationship building are key components of ongoing service. Examples include youth mentorship, weekly tutoring, etc.

• Find a list of Thayne Center Community Partners here.
• JustServe.org is a website where the volunteer needs of organizations are posted.
• Volunteermatch.org is a website to find non-profit organizations and upcoming service projects.
• Follow @thaynecenter_slcc on Instagram. Weekly roundups of service opportunities will be posted to our Instagram Story.

Volunteering is a meaningful way to enhance your learning and professional development. With the opportunity, comes a set of responsibilities from both you and the community partner. Often, our community partners rely heavily on volunteers to ensure daily operations run effectively and those they serve are counting on you.

If you registered for a service opportunity on MySLCCLife:

• Check for action items before your service begins. This can include attending an orientation, completing a background check, or other requirements. Contact the community partner for more details.
• Understand the time commitment. Some opportunities are one-time events, while others are ongoing. If you are committing to a long-term opportunity, make sure your schedule allows you to participate consistently.

If you registered for a service opportunity through an external resource:

• Follow the instructions provided by the community partner to ensure you are aware of the responsibilities and time commitment of the service opportunity.

• After registering for a service opportunity, you can expect a confirmation email from the community partner with more information such as orientation details, what to wear or bring, parking instructions, and more.
• Email or phone call responses to questions and inquiries about the service opportunity will typically be responded to within 48 hours.
  • Be mindful of a community organization’s time, many organizations have limited staff managing multiple programs.
• If you are serving to fulfill for a CEL course, community partners will sign off on hours.
  • Note: The Thayne Center does not sign off on hours for CEL courses or community engagement leave, please contact your professor or supervisor for any questions.
• More information about the Thayne Center's community partner program can be found here.

If you are no longer able to volunteer or need to reschedule your shift, please let the community partner know as far in advance as possible. Volunteers support essential operations, and last-minute cancellations can be hard to fill and often lead to staff needing to step in.

• If you can no longer volunteer within 24 hours of your scheduled shift, please call the organization to let them know in addition to an email.

• Introduce yourself! When you arrive on-site, introduce yourself to staff and let people know you attend Salt Lake Community College. Our community partners are always excited to learn more about students and why they chose to volunteer.
• If anything feels unsafe or uncomfortable during your service, notify the community partner immediately. Your safety and wellbeing are a priority.