Registration for Badger Volunteers, UW-Madison’s largest student volunteer program, opens Friday, Sept. 9 at 12:01am. Badger Volunteers connects students to community organizations in the Madison area. You commit to volunteering in a team of students with that partner once a week for the fall semester.
Registration is open to any UW-Madison student through Sept. 15 and takes place online at go.wisc.edu/BV.
So why should you get involved with Badger Volunteers? Here’s what past and current students have had to say:
It’s a great way to meet new people. Over 800 Badgers are part of the program every semester, and you volunteer in teams of typically 3-8 fellow students. Some teams in the past have made it a tradition to go out to breakfast together before volunteering and many students remain good friends long after the semester ends.
It becomes a regular part of your schedule. You volunteer once per week at the same time on the same day at the same location. This predictability and consistency makes it a normal part of your routine and something to look forward to every week.
It helps you explore communities beyond campus. There’s a lot more in Madison beyond campus and downtown! Badger Volunteers is a great way to discover new parts of your city.
It prepares you for the future. Important real-world skills to leave school with include the ability to connect with new and diverse communities, teamwork, effective communication and a willingness to expand your comfort zone. These are all skills students say Badger Volunteers gave them.
You learn a lot from your community partners. Yes, volunteering is about giving back and supporting communities. But Badger Volunteers specifically is also about allowing students to learn from the organizations they work with. You should expect to give your time and skills, but also to gain new skills, new perspectives and and a better understanding of the world around you.
Transportation is provided. A lot of volunteer sites are easily accessible by walking, biking or taking the bus. For other sites, Badger Volunteers supports students with cab rides or car-share to make sure any site is accessible to any student.
There are nearly 150 teams to choose from this fall, and you can view them all now even before registration opens. Make sure to log into registration early, as spots fill quickly.
If you have any questions about the program, please reach out to Kari atkari.temkin@wisc.edu.