Want to start making a difference in the world around you before graduation and gain real-world experience to help with internships while building a professional network and creating projects for your portfolio? Learn how to engage with campus and community partners from the beginning of your time at the University for a richer, more impactful college experience.
In our first-year seminar, learn about community-engaged courses, research opportunities, and experiential activities beyond volunteering while preparing for the next stage in your educational career. Get out of the classroom and start making an impact in your field of choice in credit classes you already need to take, and have a great time doing it!
Join us this fall for opportunities to visit with local community partners, learn about the difference between volunteering and traditional service learning, and learn the impact you can have in Community Engaged Courses (CEC) during your time at the University of Iowa.
Guest lecturers will share their experiences teaching CECs across colleges, departments, and disciplines, from engineering and public health to dance and the arts. Past community partners will share what it is like to make resume quality work while helping create marketing material, videos, stories, events, and social media content that immediately impacts people and organizations in our community.
Visiting graduate students will share tips for leveraging community engagement activities in undergrad to unlock research partners and topics, grant funding, and social networking opportunities as part of the Graduate Engagement Corps.
No matter your goals as a Hawkeye, this first-year seminar will help you learn how to get involved, make a difference, and chart a course forward to get the most out of your time on campus while making memories and sharing experiences that will last a lifetime!
Pathways to Success
Our incoming Hawkeyes have worked hard throughout their high school experience to make the most of their time at the University of Iowa as they look forward to careers and opportunities for advanced educational pathways beyond graduation. While gaining the knowledge and experience necessary to excel, students are also working on getting internships in their desired field, demonstrating projects in portfolios, and creating professional connections to help boost references and find placement in positions when joining the workforce.
Our first-year seminar is just the beginning and introduces students to the many opportunities for enhanced educational experiences throughout their careers at the University of Iowa. This experience dovetails into our Community Engaged Course (CEC) designated courses, which provide mutually beneficial service learning opportunities to have real-world impact through classroom experiences while making a difference and connections with community partners across Iowa. CECs are available across disciplines and colleges.
As students approach graduation, they can leverage their community-engaged learning experiences to participate in the Graduate Engagement Corps (GEC) and find networking, funding, community partnerships, and research guidance to make an enduring impact as they move into postgraduate education.
Making an Impact in Student Experiences
Looking for more information about Community Engagement at the University of Iowa? Contact Jan Warren at jan-warren@uiowa.edu with questions about the First-Year Seminar and upcoming Community Engaged Course opportunities.