If you are registered for a Public & Professional Writing class during Fall or Spring term, you have the opportunity to register for an extra credit that will allow you to volunteer for a nonprofit cause of your choice and to reflect on your experiences. Service-learning is a way for you to integrate community service into your educational experience as a college student.

This is our fifth year of offering this opportunity. Students have had a range of powerful experiences, including finding internships and jobs through their service learning work.


Frequently Asked Questions About the Service-Learning in PPW Experience

What type of service will I do?

You may choose the organization that you work with from a list we provide or you can identify a potential organization on your own. You might walk dogs at an animal shelter, help an organization plan and carry out a fundraising event, work on a newsletter, or help re-package food for a food bank, for example. There are many possibilities.

What are the benefits of service-learning?

If you choose to register for the service-learning component of this course, you can expect to benefit in a number of ways:

1. You get a credit toward your degree.

2. You get experience with a local organization or agency that could lead to an internship or job.

3. You can list your service-learning experience on your resume.

4. You get the satisfaction of contributing your time to a worthy cause and of being part of a community that is engaged in public service here in Pittsburgh.

5. You get to learn more about the nonprofit sector, which is an excellent way to test the waters if you are interested in working in the field.

What are the requirements?

You will work with your chosen organization for at least 30 hours during the term, attend a weekly seminar with other students, keep a reflective journal, and complete a couple of short assignments as well as a presentation at the end of the term. There will not be an exam for this component, and the grade for the credit is S/NC.

Sounds interesting, but I want to know more before I decide. What do I do next?

We will have informational meetings in the Writing Center (M-2 Thaw Hall) for students who want to learn more about Service-Learning in PPW. Stop in during these information blocks (you don't have to stay the entire time):

Jan. 9, 2008 from 4 to 5 p.m.

Jan. 15, 2008 from 1 to 2

If you can’t make these times, email ppw@pitt.edu, and we can answer your questions via email.

For more information, contact Jean Grace (412) 624-5661.


Potential Sites

You can check out the Volunteer Solutions website, a searchable database of volunteer opportunities, for possible sites for your work: www.volunteersolutions.org. This website lists dozens of opportunities just in the 15213 zip code.

We have assembled a directory of potential volunteer sites that you can download as a pdf file. You will need a pdf reader (like Acrobat Reader) to open it. You are welcome to volunteer at sites that aren't on our list.