Boston University Community Service Center 2018-2019 Annual Report
GLOBAL DAYS OF SERVICE 2019
The Community Service Center's largest one-time events are Fall Days of Service (FDS) and Global Days of Service (GDS). Program Manager Melissa Inge coordinated both events with help from other Program Managers and student leaders in chair positions. Both events send students to one of the CSC's community partners for a half-day of service.
​
"One of the major missions of the CSC is to create supportive partnerships with the community partners in Boston, while creating an intentional and meaningful services for volunteers," said Melissa. "It was important to me that these one-time services weren't just a one time relationship and that we continued to build and support these communities." The Community Partners that Melissa selected were ones that the CSC had worked with before through FYSOP or another program.
One of the challenges of FDS and GDS is integrating the CSC's mission of education and reflection. Due to the events being so short, volunteers have little opportunity for formal reflections. "I've kind of had to be a bit creative, take small victories, and hope volunteers can look beyond the surface of the experience," said Melissa. "I hope that these small reflections and conversations can encourage volunteers to engage more with Boston; whether that be thinking more about those social justice issues, exploring different Boston neighborhoods that they might not normally, and or committing to longer volunteer opportunities."
FDS and GDS are valuable experiences for students because they serve as an introduction to how community engagement can be a part of a student's life at BU. The programs also ensure long-lasting and positive relationships with community partners and encourage students to learn how to respectfully explore new parts of Boston. "It also provides an opportunity to introduce students to critical reflection on social justice issues and get them thinking about their role in Boston as a BU student," said Melissa.
All in all, FDS and GDS allowed around 300 students to spend time in different Boston Communities. "I'm proud of these events because I think they helped students engage with the Boston Community while also helping the CSC maintain effective and supportive partnerships with awesome organizations," said Melissa. FDS and GDS remain integral volunteer opportunities for BU students and they will only grow as the years go on.
