Programs

If you have questions not addressed on this page, please contact the Volunteer Center at 774.7685 or via email at volunteer.center@cmich.edu.

Adopt-A-Grandparent

Adopt A Grandparent

Adopt-A-Grandparent is a co-mentoring program that seeks to foster positive, meaningful relationships between CMU students and residents at Maplewood Assisted Living of Mount Pleasant. The program matches students with a senior based on similar interests and each pair spends at least one hour per week together visiting, playing games, and learning from each other. Participants also attend monthly special events together and take part in activities like bingo, arts and crafts, and movie nights.

CMU students have so much to offer our friends at Maplewood including friendship, enthusiasm, and fun. Likewise, students involved in the Adopt-a-Grandparent program say that they have gained wisdom, love, and life experience from their adopted grandparents. If you love working with senior citizens and are looking for a unique experience to enrich your life, Adopt-A-Grandparent is the program for you!

Students involved in the Adopt-A-Grandparent program must commit one school year to the program and go through an application and interview process. New mentors are selected at the beginning of each semester. Apply today to make a difference in the life of a senior!

Apply to be an Adopt-A-Grandparent mentor

Alternative Breaks Conference

Sign up for the conference here.

Alternative Breaks

Alternative Breaks

CMU Alternative Breaks is a service experience program through which students have the opportunity to develop into life-long active citizens through participation in diverse, direct service experiences concentrated on social injustices in local, national, and global communities.

Trips occur over the academic spring, winter, summer, and weekend breaks. Sites pair with a non-profit organization working to combat specific social issues. The trips are comprised of 12 students, including two trained student site leaders.

Students sign up for a break based on a social issue they are interested in, as opposed to the location of the trip. The location and organization are disclosed to the group following sign ups. Students meet weekly with their group prior to departure in order to assist with planning and to work on education of their social issue. Students will also learn about the Eight Quality Components of an Alternative Break, as well as the Active Citizen Continuum, according to the Break Away model for Alternative Breaks.

·Sign-ups for domestic Alternative Winter Breaks and the International Alternative Spring Break will be held Monday, September 14, 2009 at 7:30 a.m.

·Sign-ups for domestic Alternative Spring Breaks and the International Alternative Summer Break will be held Monday, October 5, 2009 at 7:30 a.m.

·Sign ups for domestic Alternative Summer Breaks will be held Monday, January 25, 2010 at 7:30 a.m.

·Sign ups for the International Alternative Winter Break for the 2010-2011 school year will be held Monday, April 12, 2010 at 7:30 a.m.

To sign-up, log onto Volunteer CENTRAL and select the issue you would like to volunteer with.If sign-ups are full, be sure to sign-up on the waiting list!

Please email altbreak@cmich.edu, call the Volunteer Center at 989.774.7685, or stop into the Volunteer Center at Bovee UC 107 with any questions!

Alternative Winter Breaks (AWB)

AWB trips depart following completion of the fall semester, and are a week in length. There are 11 AWB sites for the 2009-2010 academic year. The issues available to select are: Animal Endangerment, Civil Rights, Prison Reform, Youth, GLBTQ, Disaster Relief, Rural Poverty, Hunger and Homelessness, Elderly, Women's Issues, and an International break.

Alternative Spring Break (ASB)

ASB trips are the duration of the academic spring break in March. There are 12 ASB sites for the 2009-2010 academic year. The issues available to select are: Native American Issues, Urban Renewal, State Parks Preservation, Disabilities, Diversity, Immigration and Border Communities, Health Promotions, HIV/AIDS, Education, Terminally Ill Children, Environment, and an International break.

Alternative Summer Breaks (ASumB)

AsumB trips depart following spring semester, the domestic trips are weeklong, and the international trip is typically two weeks in length. The issues for AsumB in the 2009-2010 academic year will be announced soon! Please check back for updates.

International Alternative Breaks

The Volunteer Center is proud to offer international volunteer opportunities through a strategic partnership with the Office of International Affairs. In the past few years, students have traveled to Mexico, Peru, Costa Rica, Poland/Germany, and Romania to work with agencies and act as ambassadors of CMU. This year, students will have the opportunity to participate in International Alternative Breaks during winter, spring and summer breaks. The international AsumB is two weeks, as opposed to one week in duration, and allows for the opportunity for an extended stay, separate from the AB experience in the country following the completion of the service work.

Alternative Weekends (AW)

Alternative Weekends is a program growing in popularity each year. Students travel around Michigan and nearby Midwest states to volunteer with an organization starting Friday and going through Saturday night. Examples include working with Habitat for Humanity in Battle Creek and the Fowler Center in Mayville. The issues and sites for Alternative Weekends are continually changing. Approximately six weekend trips will be offered this academic year.

Great Lakes Alternative Breaks Conference

The Great Lakes Alternative Breaks Conference is a weekend-long hands-on experience in November that includes workshops, service opportunities, and resources to be utilized by college students in accordance with their university's current Alternative Breaks Program. Not only will participants obtain unique and beneficial knowledge regarding various components of an Alternative Breaks Program, but they will also establish connections with other existing programs helping to both strengthen and improve their existing structures, policies, and much more!

America Reads

America Reads

A literacy program to help ensure that every child can read well and independently by the end of 3rd grade.

America Reads is a federally funded tutoring program administered by the CMU Volunteer Center. The program focuses on improving children's reading skills and confidence and in encouraging children to become life-long readers. Each year over 100 second and third grade students in the community receive one-on-one tutoring through CMU's America Reads Program.


Our mission is to:

  • Improve children's reading skills
  • Get children excited about reading
  • Promote literacy awareness on campus and in the community
  • Give CMU students the opportunity to be a teacher and mentor to children

America Reads Tutors are CMU students who have a love for working with children and a passion for teaching. Tutors work with each child for at least one hour per week, and tutor between 5 and 12 students using a strategy called paired reading. Tutors are paid through federal work study and must go through a criminal background check and extensive training before working with children.

America Reads application form

The David Garcia Project

David Garcia Project

The David Garcia Project is a disabilities awareness program in which participants take part in activities designed to simulate everyday activities with different disabilities. Each facilitated simulation includes various interactive models designed to provide participants with an accurate understanding of the challenges of living with various disabilities.

Through post-simulation discussion and educational models, the David Garcia Project focuses on creating empathy - not sympathy - for disabled persons. Participants are encouraged to use the DGP experience as a springboard for further advocacy for the rights of disabled persons.

Interested in participating?

David Garcia Project trainings are held throughout the year in the University Center, and can be presented to any RSO, Department, Residence Hall, or university group. Check back here for upcoming DGP programs. Registration for all David Garcia trainings is done through Volunteer CENTRAL.

Why David Garcia?

The David Garcia Project is a living memorial to David Garcia, a computer programmer who perished in the September 11th attack on the World Trade Center. David suffered from an incurable eye disease and was a lifelong supporter of the Foundation Fighting Blindness. This living memorial was established in cooperation with the Points of Light USA Initiative, and the CMU Volunteer Center is honored to include David's memory in our programming.

Lunch Buddies

Lunch Buddies

Lunch Buddies is a mentoring program to promote healthy attitudes and healthy choices. Lunch Buddies is a school-based mentoring program administered by the CMU Volunteer Center. The program was developed to help elementary students form positive attitudes about school, encourage healthy nutrition and physical activity, and provide children with positive role models. CMU students serving as mentors help their Lunch Buddies become more healthy, confident, and hopeful about the future.

Lunch Buddies Mentors spend lunch and recess with their buddy once per week at Morey Public School Academy, Ganiard Elementary or Vowles Elementary. Mentors must commit one academic year to the program, and go through an interview and criminal background check. Anyone with a desire to help children is encouraged to apply.

Research shows that mentoring has a meaningful, long-lasting, and positive impact on children. No special skills are needed...just the willingness to care and spend time with a child who needs you.

Lunch Buddies Application Form

Safer Sex Patrol

Safer Sex Patrol

The Safer Sex Patrol promotes the importance of responsible decision-making, especially as it relates to choosing safe sex. Through distribution of condom and abstinence kits, the Safer Sex Patrol provide their peers with the resources needed to stay protected and make smart choices. Interested in spreading the word about smart decisions and safe sex? Get involved with the Safer Sex Patrol!

When is the next Safer Sex Patrol?

The Safer Sex Patrol goes out at least four times each semester, and is present at various events around campus. Volunteers are needed to help assemble kits as well as to take part in Patrol nights.

Registration for the Safer Sex Patrol is done through Volunteer CENTRAL.

Michigan Service Scholars

Michigan Service Scholars

Michigan Service Scholars (MSS) is an AmeriCorps program that provides scholarships to college students involved in service. Students willing to complete 300 hours of community service during one calendar year will be awarded a $1,000 scholarship to use for educational purposes including tuition, books, or student loans. 300 scholarships are available every year on a first come, first serve basis. Any college student willing to dedicate 300 hours to service for one year may participate. To complete 300 hours during the academic year, students would need to average between 9 and 10 hours of community service per week.

MSS students can complete their service hours in the following ways:

  • Helping community agencies with volunteer recruitment or infrastructure
  • Volunteering with youth programs that focus on teaching, mentoring, tutoring, or early childhood education/development
  • Student teaching in a school that is not making Adequate Yearly Progress
  • Working in the community through a Federal Work Study Program

Students interested in participating must fill out the Member Application Form and attend one training session to be enrolled in the MSS program. Students may begin to enroll for the program in the fall and scholarships are awarded on a rolling basis until funds are exhausted.

For more information, check out the Michigan Service Scholars website at www.micampuscompact.org/mss.asp

Volunteers Are Central

Volunteers Are Central

"Volunteers are Central is a new volunteer recognition program designed to highlight CMU students, faculty and staff engaging in service to our community."

This award program is supported by Central Michigan University and is being organized by the CMU Volunteer Center. Each month up to five awards will be given. The awardees will include:

  • 2-3 CMU students
  • 1 CMU Faculty/Staff member
  • 1 Organization, Office or Department

The winners will be selected by a committee and will be based on:

  • The quality of the nomination
  • Breadth of service done
  • Community need that is being addressed

Awardees

Make a nomination