Are you a student searching for academic community engagement opportunities?
The CACE Office can help connect you with community partners to meet your service learning and academic community engagement goals.
Bilingual Story Telling
Penn State Berks students perform a bi-cultural reading for elementary and middle school children and then interact with them via a related craft or activity. With this service, students will become familiar with certain Hispanic stories and legends that relate to children.
Location and time:
- Select schools in close proximity to Penn State Berks.
- 3:30 to 5:00 p.m., once or twice per semester.
Tutors/Mentors Migrant Education After School Program
Penn State Berks students provide tutoring and mentoring to elementary, middle school, and high school students enrolled in the Migrant Education After School Program. With this service, students will build relationships and serve as a tutor/mentor/model with elementary, middle school and high school students enrolled in the Migrant Education Program. They will also become familiar with certain aspects of the Hispanic culture in Reading as it relates to schooling. Penn State students will tutor the children in reading, math, and general homework assignments and interact with the children in through games and arts and crafts.
Clearances are needed to participate in this service. CACE will provide assistance in filling out the necessary forms.
Location and time:
- Select schools in close proximity to Penn State Berks.
- 3:30 to 5:00 p.m. one time per week, Monday through Thursday. Students are encouraged to participate for at least three weeks per semester, but may choose to volunteer for the length of the semester.
Scambassadors for Senior Citizens
Penn State Berks students create programs for retirement communities to alert residents of the scams that are commonly used to financially trick senior citizens. Students will work with law enforcement agencies and other senior citizen advocates to create entertaining presentations that can be delivered to the general population of various retirement communities.
Location and time:
- Select retirement communities in close proximity to Penn State Berks.
- Days and times depend on the availability of the communities. Students are encouraged to visit at least three communities per semester.
Mentoring English Language Learners
Penn State Berks students will assist the ESL instructors (English as a Second Language) at Berks own ESL program. Students will help develop and teach the lessons and will provide one on one conversation with the English Language Learners.
Location and time:
- Thun Library at Penn State Berks.
- Thursdays, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., weeks five through 15 of each semester. Students are encouraged to participate for at least three weeks per semester, but may choose to volunteer for the length of the semester.
Community Meals
Penn State Berks students will serve as food pantry and soup kitchen volunteers at several shelters in Reading. Students will help prepare and serve meals to those in need.
Location and time:
- Area shelters and churches in Reading who need volunteers.
- Volunteers are needed for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Students may choose the time they wish to serve according to the shelter or church in which they will be serving.
Environmental Clean Ups
Penn State Berks students will collect trash and do light gardening at Baer Park and along the Schuylkill River Trail. This service is performed once per semester.
Location and time:
- Baer Park and Schuylkill River Trail
- This service can be performed once every fall or once every spring, with cleanups spanning roughly three hours. Fall clean up is usually a Saturday morning at the beginning of the semester.
- Spring clean up is usually a Wednesday afternoon at the end of the semester.
Anti-Bullying Programs
Penn State Berks students create programs for elementary and middle school students to inform them of what constitutes bullying and how they can work to eliminate bullying in their school. Students will work with law enforcement agencies and other school officials to create presentations that can be delivered to students in a fun, informative, and interactive manner.
Location and time:
- Select schools in close proximity to Penn State Berks.
- Days and times depend on the availability of the schools. Students are encouraged to visit at least three schools per semester.
Breaking Barriers, Building Bridges
Penn State Berks students will work in collaboration with Reading High School and select artists from the Reading community to present an evening of multicultural performances such as dance, live music, and the spoken word, including a pop-up artist studio for school-age children to create works of art. Each act in the program will impart a message of social justice awareness, highlight inclusivity along with multicultural experiences and issues, with the intention of creating unity and building community.
Location and time:
- Select venue in Reading.
- Once per semester.
Opportunities Coming Soon:
- Victim Advocacy
- Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
- Outfall Projects
- Homeless School Children Project
- Exercise and Movement Programs