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Volunteer Opportunities

The OCS has sixteen student run programs in a variety of areas. These programs vary in level of commitment, with most being a weekly commitment. We strongly encourage longer term commitments, which can foster stronger connections with our community members.

If you do not see a program that fits your interest, check out our listing of local service agencies, or stop by OCS and we'll be happy to help you find a site that connects with your interests.

Community Partner Map

GREEN: Wesleyan Program-Based Community Partners
RED: Wesleyan-Affiliated Community Partners
YELLOW: Wesleyan Programs
BLUE: Community Social Service Agencies

  • ASHA (AIDS Sexual Health Awareness)

    • Student Coordinator: Emily Moody (asha.wesleyan@gmail.com)

      Mission: ASHA works to provide young people with the resources and knowledge they need to make
      healthy sexual decisions. We empower young people to be active participants in their sexual
      education and to take charge of their bodies as well as their emotional and physical health.

      ASHA seeks to create classroom environments that:

      1. Promote healthy behavior.
      2. Are accepting of a wide variety of sexual activities and decisions.
      3. Encourage consent and communication between partners.

      Website: http://asha.group.wesleyan.edu

  • Language Bank

    • Student Coordinator: Neha Shafique (weslangbank@gmail.com)

      Mission:The Wesleyan Language Bank, run by the OCS, provides translation/interpreting services for the larger Middletown area. The goals of the language bank are to break down language barriers in order to achieve effective communication, increase cross cultural understanding, and build mutually inspiring relationships between communities.

  • Connecticut Forest and Park Association (CFPA)

    • Student Coordinator: Miranda Linsky (wescfpa@gmail.com)

      Mission: Connecticut Forest and Parks Association (CFPA) is Connecticut's oldest conservation organization that works to preserve hiking trails, conserve land and forests, and educate the community. As a volunteer you could work to plan hikes for Wesleyan and our local community, set up events such as film screenings and lectures, create video podcasts that the CFPA will use to educate their hikers, and work on implementing an educational youth program at the CFPA headquarters located down the road from Wes! Working closely with the CFPA, students will have hands-on experiences and will work to create a strong and lasting community partnership.

  • WesAGE

    • Student Coordinator: Adriana Brau-Diaz (abraudiaz@wesleyan.edu) and Sheri Reichelson (sreichelson@wesleyan.edu)

      Mission: This program has a variety of opportunites to connect and socialize with local senior citizens.  Commitments vary and provide volunteers with flexibility of weekly commitment to one time events.  More info ...

  • Green Street Arts Center

    • Student Coordinators: Kobi Bordoley (greenst@wesleyan.edu)

      Mission: Green Street Arts Center located in Middletown's North End neighborhood is a community resource for residents of all ages and walks of life to develop their talents, skills and abilities.  Volunteers who are able to make a regular commitment - be it once a week or every day - are encouraged to take on any one of a variety of roles in the AfterSchool program, as homework helpers, teaching asistants, and/or music instructors.

  • Housing & Hunger Issues

    • Student Coordinator: Francesca Moree (hfh@wesleyan.edu)

      Mission: The Housing and Hunger Program provides both direct service opportunities and the opportunity to address the root causes of hunger and housing issues in our community. Programs include:

      For even more info you can go to their website.

  • Food Rescue

    • Student Coordinator: Catherine Marquez (wesfoodrescue@gmail.com)

      Student volunteers collect food that is normally wasted from Pi Cafe, Summerfields and Usdan and take it to Eddy Shelter, an emergency shelter about 5 minutes from campus. Total commitment is about 30 minutes per week. Students also organize, prepare and participate in community dinners at the shelter.

  • Individual Tutoring

    • Student Coordinator: Hanako Rodriguez (tutor@wesleyan.edu)

      Mission: This program is a request based one-on-one tutoring experience.  Local parents or community agencies request a tutor for a local child.  You will be matched with a child based on your interest/mastery of a subject matter and your availability.  All tutoring takes place in public locations such as the local or campus library.

  • North End Mentors

    • Student Coordinator: Caludia von Nostitz (mentoringneat@gmail.com)

      Purpose of Program: NEAT Mentors is a program that pairs Wesleyan students with a child that lives in the North End of Middletown for a mentoring relationship. Mentors build relationships with the children in the North End and their families. The pairs are asked to meet on a weekly basis for a minimum of an hour on their own schedule in Middletown. The mentors also become a part of North End Action Team which is a neighborhood advocacy organization dedicated to the development of grassroots leadership.  The mentors (where appropriate) will serve as community organizers, giving information to families about opportunities (summer camps,etc..) and helping to engage them in their neighborhood.  More info ...

  • Center for Prison Education Volunteer Programs

    • Student Coordinator: Emma Vasta-Kuby (evastakuby@gmail.com)

      Mission: Engage with incarcerated populations through a variety of activites organized and supported by the Center for Prison Education.  More info ...

  • Shining Hope for Communities

    • Student Coordinator: Maeve Russell (shofcowesleyan@gmail.com)

      Mission: Shining Hope for Communities-Wesleyan is the founding chapter fo Shining Hope for Communities (SHOFCO), an international non-profit organization that began at Wesleyan in 2009.  SHOFCO seeks to address gender inequality and extreme poverty in the Kibera slum of Nairobi, Kenya by linking a tuition-free school for girls (The Kibera School for Girls) with social services for all.  SHOFCO-Wesleyan works with the Wesleyan and Middletown communities to improve understanding of issues that affects people in Kibera, to raise awareness of SHOFCO's various projects in Kibera, and to fundraise in support of these projects.

  • Traverse Square

    • Student Coordinators: Jalen Alexander, Elaine Maskus, Jay Benedith, Chantil Coleman, Michael Lyn, and Arun Ramrup (traversesquare@gmail.com)

      Mission: Student run and neighborhood based, the Traverse Square After-school program provides a community setting for Middletown children to receive academic and social support.  Also known as "The Center," this student designed program is geared to provide Middletown children with the proper resources to succeed in all aspects of life. Helping the children with their homework is the main goal of the program, and we also provide academic enrichment, recreational activities, and Friday afternoon fieldtrips for the students. More info ...

  • WesESL

    • Student Coordinator: Sonia Zavala (wesleyanesl@gmail.com)

      Mission: Tutors for this program teach English to the custodial staff on-campus.  Wesleyan students tutor one on one for 1.5 hours twice a week.  We provide training, curriculum, and weekly meetings to help you plan your lessons.

  • Wesleyan Farmers' Market

    • Student Coordinator: Zia Grossman-Vendrillo (wesleyanfarmersmarket@gmail.com)

      Mission: The Wesleyan Farmers' Market is a student-run initiative committed to supporting local agriculture, providing fresh, affordable, nutritious food, and building community between the students faculty and staff of Wesleyan University, and the citizens in Connecticut. We have markets from September to May on the first and third Wednesday of every month. In the fall and spring we hold the markets in the Usdan Courtyard and during the winter they are in Fayerweather. Students do everything from helping set up and clean up, to staffing an info table, to advertising, to running the finances, and to arranging for elementary school classes to come on field trips to the market. We welcome new ideas and new people into our group.

  • WesReads and WesMath at Macdonough Elementary

    • Student Coordinators: Angela Yoo and Rebecca McClellan (wes.reads.math@gmail.com)

      Mission: To provide support for higher level learners in the areas of reading and math.   More info ...

  • Woodrow Wilson Tutoring Partnership

    • Student Coordinators: Ali Goldman, Shira Engel, and Lucy De Souza(wwmstutor@gmail.com) 

      Mission: This program serves middle school students who are failing subjects, at risk of retention, and/or in need of general and academic support. Students are identified by their team of teachers and matched one-on-one with Wesleyan students for in-school tutoring. With a major focus on building relationships, tutors assist students with schoolwork, help supprt and enhance student's motivation, serve as a general support for building confidence and changing academic performance, and serving as a role model.

      For more program information check out their website here.

  • Special Events
    •

      The OCS sponsors and supports several one time events throughout the year including Halloween Halls, Daffodil Days and Blood Drives. 

      Interested students can contact Cathy Lechowicz (clechowicz@wesleyan.edu).