Community Engagement through Volunteering

Looking to engage with the vibrant & welcoming Worcester community? You've come to the right place.

Community Engagement at Holy Cross (CBL, SPUD, and CSWS)

About Us

There are several different ways Holy Cross students connect* with our local Worcester community through volunteering: Community-Based Learning (CBL), Student Programs for Urban Development (SPUD), and Community Service Work-Study (Government & Community Relations)**. Determine the right program for you to connect with Worcester and then navigate to the Volunteering Opportunities page to see the current volunteering options and how to get connected.

We are still building the Community Engagement Group on MyHC.  Check back for updates and content or feel free to reach out to us with any questions at communityengagement@holycross.edu.

*Typically, students connect with an agency at the beginning of the fall or spring semester. If it is mid-semester and you would still like to connect with an agency, contact CBL, SPUD, or GCR directly to see if there are any remaining opportunities.

**If you are seeking an academic internship, contact the Academic Internship Program. If you are seeking a full-time internship, contact the Center for Career Development. If you're interest in Community-Engaged research, check out Scholarship in Action.

Community-Based Learning (CBL)

Highlights:

  • Volunteering through a CBL course (academic credit)
  • Semester-long volunteering, with the potential of continuing into future semesters
  • Work with an agency that fits with your course goals and schedule (agencies are pre-determined by your CBL professor)

Through CBL courses, students gain a deeper understanding of course content by integrating the theories they learn in the classroom with real-world practice. CBL courses invite students to reflect upon moral and ethical questions of social responsibility, while simultaneously considering how their unique gifts can be used to positively contribute to society. Concurrently, communities gain access to volunteers, resources, and the wide-ranging research and scholarly expertise housed in the College's many disciplinary departments.

The structure of each CBL course, whether project- or placement-based, can vary tremendously. CBL project courses typically involve the whole class engaging with the same research project or community engagement activity; while CBL placements typically involve weekly off-campus community service.

Check out the list of CBL courses on the CBL website.

Student Programs for Urban Development (SPUD)

Highlights:

  • Volunteering in your free time (no academic credit)
  • Year-long volunteering for 1-2 hours per week
  • Work with the agency that fits with your goals and schedule

Comprised of more than 40 diverse community partnerships, SPUD is the largest student organization on campus, involving over 500 student volunteers who answer the Holy Cross call to be people for and with others throughout greater Worcester. At the heart of the student volunteer experience is the opportunity to build relationships with others through ongoing direct service throughout the academic year.

The work SPUD engages in ranges from serving meals and working at food pantries, to tutoring children, visiting the elderly in nursing facilities, playing basketball with youth in detention, or being present with those in hospice.

Community Service Work Study (CSWS)

Highlights:

  • Paid job opportunity
  • Students must be work-study eligible, as determined by Financial Aid
  • Work with an eligible agency that is pre-determined by GCR

Government and Community Relations (GCR) offers students a chance to serve through a paid internship through Community Service Work-Study (CSWS). The mission of each organization that GCR partners with is to better the community in some capacity - whether it be through food justice, ending poverty, access to and success in higher education, women's health, or community engagement (to name just a few). If you are looking for a job, and are work-study eligible as determined by the Financial Aid Office, GCR may have the perfect position for you!

If you are unsure if you qualify for work-study (receive a work-study award as part of your financial aid package), contact Sue Hunt, Associate Director of GCR at to inquire on your status and include your HC ID in the message.

Volunteer

Engage with Worcester through community engagement opportunities.

Access Resources

Use our myHC page and our Holy Cross webpages to learn more about effective volunteering.

Connect

Meet new students with shared interests through volunteering and other community engagement programs and events.