Student United Way
What do Student United Ways do?
We mobilize our peers to make lasting community change. Student United Ways figure out what their communities most need (in education, financial stability, and health), then we all work together to meet those needs. Does your nearest high school have low graduation rates? You can tackle the problem in a preventative way, as a volunteer reading buddy to help young kids improve their reading skills and get on a long-term path to success. Do your lower-income neighbors lack savings accounts? You can help implement a financial literacy course that helps them save more of their hard-earned money and provide for their families. Are many children in your community uninsured? You and your peers can create a campaign to raise awareness about affordable insurance options. We’ll help you get started!
What is my role as campus advisor?
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First, download the guidebook and reach out to us at student@unitedway.org to start the process.
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Begin conversations with your local United Way staff (atina@unitedwayrandolphcounty.org).
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Your role as an adviser can be created by you and your group’s student members. At a minimum, campus advisers are required to ensure the chapter meets requirements necessary to remain active on campus. Ideally, an adviser would provide guidance to help students navigate campus bureaucracy; build continuity and smooth year-to-year transitions; connect chapter leaders to campus opportunities and resources; and advocate for the group’s voice on campus and throughout the community.
What are you looking for in Student United Way leaders and members?
You! If you’re driven enough to start or get involved with a Student United Way, we want you. If you want to make lasting change in your community, we want to help you out. Through Student United Way, we hope you’ll learn a lot and build the skills to be a better leader.
How much of a time commitment will it be?
That’s up to you, your team and your advisers. How many projects do you want to do each year? How many people are interested in taking on how much responsibility? How much time will you have this semester, next semester, next year? Communicate your thoughts and work together as a team to figure out how much time you, individually, and the group, as a whole, can realistically commit.