We realize students lead busy lives so we've developed a spectrum of opportunities that range in time commitment, funding, credit or non-credit, and from volunteerism all the way to public work projects.  We have opportunities for you to work in the community for one day, one week, one quarter, one year, or your entire academic career.  Read each program description to find out if you can receive course credit, stipends or scholarship for your work in the community.  Each of our student programs is based on a community organizing model and uses the community organizing handbook* throughout the process.

Civic Development

Puksta Scholars (four years): Incoming first years can apply upon acceptance to the University of Denver.  Scholars receive $6,000 annual scholarship and over four years develop civic skills and complete a major public work project with a community partner.

Public Achievement (one year): Use your Federal work award or volunteer to work with this youth engagement initiative that seeks to draw on the talents and desires of young people to build a better community, and engage them to be problem-solvers in their schools, and connect to the classroom.

Community-Engaged Learning

Spectator to Citizen Course Sequence (one to three quarters): This three-course sequence of two-credit courses is designed to provide opportunities for University of Denver students to develop a set of public skills and civic knowledge base that will allow them to actively participate in the public life of their communities.

Service Learning Associates (one to three quarters): Use your Federal work award to learn how to develop service-learning courses, assist faculty with course development and lead student reflections on service experiences.

Service Learning courses (one quarter): Offered within a variety of academic disciplines, service learning is active learning that links traditional academics with community service in order to deepen and expand classroom learning through thoughtful, collaborative engagement with community organizations, government agencies, educational institutions and the people they serve.

Community Engaged Scholarship

Public Good Associates (one year): The Public Good Associates (PGAs) program is designed to get students and faculty into working relationships to support public good scholarship (research) at DU. DU students who have experience in or a deep commitment for community-engaged work along with experience or interest in research are eligible to serve as PGAs.

The Science Shop
provides opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students to use their academic skills to address questions identified with community partners. Science Shop projects involve a faculty supervisor and are linked to credit-bearing courses.

Service Initiatives

Compact Service Corps AmeriCorps Program (one or two years): Earn $1,175-$2,775 in education awards for completing 300, 450, 675 or 900 hours of service during the academic year.

Community Engagement Corps (one year): Use your Work Award or earn an hourly salary tutoring Denver Public School students through in-class and out-of-class support that provides academic assistance, facilitates a better understanding of concepts, and engages students in studying and problem-solving strategies.

DUSC: (opportunities vary): DU Service & Change (DUSC) is a student organization engaging the DU community through diverse opportunities that facilitate positive change for the greater public good. Whether you're looking for a one-time, on-going, or in-depth service experience, DUSC offers involvement in projects that cover countless issue areas, times, and sites throughout our community.

DU Something: Volunteer: (one day to one year): Search online to find the right volunteer opportunity for you in the Denver metro area. This online system is open to all DU students, faculty and staff, and provides the opportunity to sign up immediately to volunteer in the Denver community. You may log back in after volunteering to record your hours and find new opportunities.

Register to Vote!

Registering to vote is quick, easy, and an essential element of our democracy!

CCESL helps students register to vote in several ways. All DU students will receive an email with information about voter registration 120 days before the registration deadline. In addition, trained volunteers will be available to help you register leading up to elections.

You can also register to vote in Colorado here.

You are eligible to vote in Colorado if you: are a Colorado resident and have lived in your current precinct for at least 30 days before the election (November 6, 2012); will be 18 years of age or older at the time of the next election; are a United States citizen, and are not serving a sentence of confinement, detention, or parole for a felony conviction.

If you are already registered to vote in Colorado, but need to update your address, party affiliation, or permanent mail-in ballot status, click here.

You can register to vote in a state other than Colorado here.

On Election Day, November 6, 2012, there will be two polling locations on/near DU's campus: Centennial Halls DU Residency Hall at 1870 South High Street and University Park Methodist Church at 2180 South University Boulevard.

To view additional polling locations, please click here.

Please direct any voting related questions to ccesl@du.edu.

Post-Graduate Opportunities

If you are interested in post-graduate service opportunities, please read our "Next Step: Serve" information sheet and then contact the Career Center for advising at 303.871.2150 or career@du.edu.

*The community organizing handbook is provided as an online resource.  If you would like to print or distribute this handbook, please contact us at 303.871.3706 or ccesl@du.edu.