Student Leaders for Service Program

Student Leaders for Service is a program run by the Center for Academic Excellence at Portland State University that intentionally builds students’ leadership capacity to serve and learn with nonprofit organizations (including K-12 schools) in the Metropolitan area. Students commit to a nine-month term of 5-10 hours per week and receive a variety of academic and community-based benefits from their work, including a small stipend.

Student Leaders serve as a key link between the university and the community, making manifest PSU’s motto: Let Knowledge Serve the City. Student leaders adopt a variety of roles in accord with their prior experience and professional interests, including the following activities.

• Act as volunteer coordinators in nonprofit organizations, helping to recruit and organize other PSU student volunteers.
• Work with faculty to help students in service-learning courses reflect on service-curricular connections, and on their roles as democratically involved citizens.
• Plan and lead special service-day activities on nationally recognized days of service, such MLK, Jr. Day of Service or Make a Difference Day.
• Develop student-led workshops on diverse service and community related issues.
• Network with area colleges and universities to plan joint service community initiatives, workshops and trainings for students and community-based partners.
• Collaborate with the university administration as advisors to the Community-University Partnerships office, which supports service and other campus-wide, community-based learning and civic engagement initiatives.