Center for Community Engagement
Connecting USM to the Community
The Center for Community Engagement (CCE) coordinates meaningful and mutually beneficial community engagement experiences to address university and community needs, effect positive social change, and cultivate active citizen leaders. Through partnerships with faculty, staff, students, and community agencies, CCE facilitates activities that integrate learning, service, and leadership.
For Community Partners: Post Volunteer Opportunities
Service-Learning Faculty Fellows Program
The Center for Community Engagement accepts 6 faculty each year to participate in the Service-Learning Faculty Fellows program, in which faculty meet weekly during the spring semester to learn about service-learning pedagogy and redesign an academic course to include a service-learning component.
Faculty Fellows receive $2400 to teach the initial service-learning course within two years of seminar completion.
Connecting with Community
The Center for Community Engagement encourages meaningful engagement that can truly make a difference for our community partners.
Students at Southern Miss can participate in service-learning classes to engage in projects through which they apply and learn course content while serving the community. A list of USM service-learning classes is online. Students who excel in service may also choose to graduate as a USM Citizen Scholar.
1. Faculty can connect teaching, learning, and research to the community through service-learning or community-engaged research.
2. Students can volunteer, take service-learning classes, intern with nonprofits, or research important community issues. Those who excel in these areas can become Citizen Scholars.
2. Our online platform Get Connected (volunteer.usm.edu) has local volunteer opportunities and a list of local organizations. This is the best place to find and sign up for local volunteer opportunities.
- They can support just one organization and be available when the partner needs volunteers.
- They can get hours through continuous volunteering over time, instead of one-time, big events.
- They can do service in small groups of 5 or less.
- They can commit to showing up and always honor their word.
- Request a one-on-one meeting to find opportunities and/or information best suited to your specific interests, needs and/or schedule.