Semester Long Programs are programs that require a weekly commitment from the student participants throughout the semester. Programs available in this format range from mentoring and tutoring youth to operating community health clinics and supporting the guests at local homeless shelters. Students with Federal Work Study may be eligible to use their participation in these programs to receive their award.
Health Services
Community Outreach’s health services programs work with a wide range of clients to support local health care organizations. Students can participate in a variety of settings including local hospitals, health clinics and simulation labs.
Participants in the Generations Connect program, engage with residents at the Mansfield Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation. Participants work residents and staff to assist with recreational and social activities for the older adults. Participants and residents have the opportunity to work together on different projects while building connections throughout the semester.
E-Mail: uconn.co.genconnect@gmail.com
Schedule: Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday from 2 PM - 4 PMHoly Family Home and Shelter is a dry homeless shelter in Willimantic for women and children. Volunteers are needed to assist in running an after-school program, leading fun activities and homework help for the children living in the shelter.
E-Mail: uconn.co.holyfamily@gmail.com
Schedule: Mondays from 3-5pm, Wednesdays from 6-8pm, and Fridays from 3-5pm.Participants at the No Freeze shelter assist with a variety of tasks including guest in-take, social activities, and basic shelter operations.
E-Mail: uconn.co.nofreeze@gmail.com
Schedule: Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays 8:30am-12:30pm, 12:30pm-4:30pm, and 6:30pm-10:30pm (each of these 3 days)Participants at Windham Hospital help hospital staff with a wide variety of needs across the hospital, including restocking supplies, helping transfer a patient or delivering materials to another unit. Placements can range from the Emergency Department to the Diagnostics Lab.
E-Mail: uconn.co.windhosp@gmail.com
Schedule: 7 days a week. 3 hour shifts on Monday through Friday from 9-12 AM, 12-3 PM, and 3-6 PM. EMT shifts are 6 hours long on any day of the week.Language & Literacy
Understanding and utilizing written and verbal communication is crucial to navigating our society’s academic, economic, and social structures. Community Outreach’s literacy programs work with children, adolescents, and college students to improve their literacy levels and mastery of the English language. UConn student volunteers and work-study students act as tutors and conversation partners in various programs on and off campus.
Health Services
E-Mail: uconn.co.ell@gmail.com
Schedule: Mansfield Public Library - TUE & THU Mornings, EAST CONN - TUE & THU Evenings, E.O Smith High School - TUE & THU EveningsSocial Services
Community Outreach’s social services programs work with a wide range of clients to address various concerns including homelessness, physical or mental disabilities, and food insecurity. Students can work in a variety of settings tackling challenges and building genuine relationships with clients.
Through stimulating activities such as cooking and exercise, Horizons creates an inclusive environment for those with developmental disabilities. Participants are granted the opportunity to develop meaningful relationships with campers and have the opportunity to assist in the instruction of activities of interest.
E-Mail: uconn.co.campconn@gmail.com
Schedule: Saturdays from 1-4pm (9/27, 10/11, 10/25, 11/8, 12/6)Student volunteers participate in weekly shifts throughout the semester, leading engaging activities such as trivia, bingo, and crafts. This is a great opportunity to connect with the greater Storrs community and the older population. Join us in bridging the gap between generations and the neighborhood!
E-Mail: uconn.co.juniperhill@gmail.com
Schedule: Monday-Friday ; morning shift (10:00am-11:00am) and afternoon shift (1:30pm-2:30pm)Volunteers help the Mansfield Senior Center with recreational and social activities to improve well-being and strengthen the sense of community.
E-Mail: uconn.co.seniorcenter@gmail.com
Schedule: Monday-Friday 9 AM to 4 PMUConn participants work with students in Connecticut's prison system through Second Chance Educational Alliance. Participants serve as tutors and instructors to students on topics including science, business, math, writing and reading comprehension. Students are in class to help them prepare for the GED test as well as other academic goals they may have. UConn Participants will facilitate the classroom lessons and create activities for tutoring and instructing a course.
E-Mail: uconn.co.correctional@gmail.com
Schedule: Tuesdays from 4:30-8pm; Wednesdays 4:30-8pmParticipants in Special Olympics Assistant Coaching support SO athletes by attending weekly athletic practices and encouraging athletes to develop their skills and have fun. Sports include basketball, swimming, track and field, and bowling.
E-Mail: uconn.co.soasstcoaching@gmail.com
Schedule: Monday & Thursday basketball with Glastonbury team (the first half the season practice itself runs from 6-7pm, then transitions to 7-8/8:30pm), Monday basketball with Vernon team (practice from 5-7pm), Sunday bowling with Glastonbury (4-5pm). Travel time will add 30min - 1hour on either end of those practice times.E-Mail: uconn.co.olympics@gmail.com
Schedule: Tuesdays Biweekly 7-8pm starting 9/16/25Tea @ 3 pairs college students with Connecticut residents age 55+ to create online mutual connections each week.
E-Mail: uconn.co.tea3@gmail.com
Schedule: Flexible days & timings depending on individual pairingsYouth Development & Education for Adolescents
Community Outreach’s adolescent programs collaborate with organizations that engage youth in fun, learning centered initiatives that seek to further develop their self-awareness, academic aptitudes, and long-term career plans. UConn students serve as tutors and mentors in a variety of classroom and after school settings.
Mansfield Youth Services Big Friends supports children and their families by encouraging social and academic enrichment through 1-on-1 and group interactions. UConn Big Friends will be paired with a student grade 5-8 with whom they will work throughout the year to build a stable relationship by being a positive, enthusiastic role model and by taking an active interest in the student's life. Through their continued participation, Big Friends will increase student's self-worth and confidence in their learning abilities by stressing the importance of their educational and social development.
E-Mail: uconn.co.bigfriends@gmail.com
Mansfield Middle School Tutoring provides one-on-one or small group assistance to students grades 5th – 8th. Through in-class and homework support in all academic disciplines, volunteers contribute to the educational attainment of local youth and serve as mentors.
E-Mail: uconn.co.mms@gmail.com
Youth Development & Education for Children
UConn volunteer and work-study students act as mentors and tutors supporting children in their academic and personal development. Programs are located in public schools and community based organizations and run during and after school.
Since 1904, the National organization of Big Brothers, Big Sisters (BBBS) has operated under the belief that inherent in every child is incredible potential. As the nation’s largest donor- and volunteer-supported mentoring network, Big Brothers Big Sisters makes meaningful, monitored matches between adult volunteers (“Bigs”) and children (“Littles”).
BBBS offers one-on-one mentoring with basic homework help and recreational activities for grades K – 8th.
Site locations include: Natchaug Elementary School, North Windham Elementary School, Windham Center School, Sweeney Elementary School, Charles H. Barrows STEM Academy and Putnam Elementary School.
E-Mail: uconn.co.bbbs@gmail.com
Schedule: Monday Barrows 2:55-5:00pm, Sweeney 2:55-5:00pm Tuesday Natchaug 2:55-5:00pm, Wednesday Storrs 3:00-4:10, Putnam 2:50-5:20pm Thursday Windham Center 2:50-5:10pm, North Windham 3:10-5:20pmCampus Big Buddies (CBB) is a campus based enrichment program for elementary age children from the Windham Heights Housing Complex in Windham, CT. As a program, CBB emphasizes the importance of introducing college environments to young students so they might discover a future on a college campus. Due to Covid-19, the program will partner with Windham Heights After School program to offer remote interventions.
E-Mail: uconn.co.cbb@gmail.com
Natchaug After School Tutoring offers mentoring, tutoring and physical activities in 1-on-1 or small group environments for the K-5 students of Natchaug Elementary School. Located in Willimantic, the Natchaug After School Tutoring Program is housed in Natchaug Elementary School and serves students from the Windham/Willimantic area.
Volunteers will have the opportunity to tutor students in all subjects, help with homework, encourage the importance of physical activity (both inside and outside) as well as aid staff members in supervising snack time. Above all, volunteers will be able to develop and nurture mentoring relationships with the Natchaug students.
E-Mail: uconn.co.natchaugtutor@gmail.com
Schedule: Fridays 3:10pm to 5:05pmWindham Heights After School Program emphasizes mentoring and tutoring elementary level students through homework help that stresses reading and participation in social group activities. The program specifically targets students in 1st-6th grade who live in the Windham Heights Apartment Complex. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, this program will collaborate with Campus Big Buddies to offer remote services.
E-Mail: uconn.co.windheights@gmail.com