Community Service Center
About Us
The Community Service Center is a student-run office within Student Engagement that works during the academic year to provide programs such as Days of Service and Volunteer Fairs as well as other activities and services to educate the campus community about needs in the campus and local community. We are composed of two Student Engagement student staff, three work-study student assistants, and one professional staff member who are in constant motion to design and critically think about the delivery of our work to be as inclusive as possible and put lessons from our Indigenous neighbors into practice. As the campus, local, regional, national, and world environments change, so does our work.
Our Mission
The Community Service Center creates opportunities to bridge WWU students and local organizations through volunteerism to support and uplift both communities.
Location
The Community Service Center is located in Viking Union 424. Take the east side stairs (across from the Bookstore) or elevator (across from the large TV screen) down to the 4th floor and we are across from the Club Hub.
Email & Phone Number
Our shared email is: community.service@wwu.edu
(360) 650-4190
Social Media
Follow us on Instagram: @WWUCommunityServiceCenter
Western Action for Volunteer Engagement and Service (or WAVES) is your source for finding opportunities on campus and in the community! Sign in with your Western account, select your Interests, favorite some Agencies, and sign up for Needs!
Visit us for any help or browse the help guide.
Our Impact
Community Service Center Mid Way Report 2025
Community Service Assistants Program
Community Service Assistants (CSAs) are students, ideally in their first or second year at Western and the first in their family to attend a four-year university (i.e. first-generation student), who are dedicated to bettering their community through learning together and applying that learning in a non-profit setting. CSAs do not need to have previous experience with community engagement work but do need to have some experience in basic event planning and/or leadership roles as they will work together to create important events for the Western and Bellingham community including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Day and Earth Week. CSAs will meet weekly with the Community Service Center office team, attend weekly professional development sessions, complete tasks during weekly office hours, and complete at least one hour per week of unpaid volunteer work. They are enrolled as AmeriCorps Volunteers through the Coalition for the Public Good program and complete a total of 300 hours of service.
There are 3 roles that CSA's can fill: Major Events (lead coordinator for MLK Day, Earth Week, and Volunteer Fairs), Peer Educator (writing newsletters and educating the campus community on various topics), and Service Learning (managing engagement with academic areas and clubs). Students will not be hired into one of these roles, but each CSA will decide which one they want to fill, which can then be changed each quarter to allow a holistic experience.
Students at Western have opportunities to complete community engagement hours on their own through club involvement and/or as service learning in an academic setting. This program is a mix of all of that but with the unique addition of being paid for labor to complete major event planning in a team setting and be supported as an AmeriCorps Volunteer with networking, professional development, and an educational award. This program includes a regular professional development where learning occurs as described below in the Pillars of Learning section. This is not a job, not a class, and not a club. It is a truly unique opportunity like no other available on campus.
To apply, students will submit a form expressing their interest and will need to have been awarded Work-Study through Financial Aid (awarded in early September). Selected students will also be enrolled with AmeriCorps which includes completing fingerprinting and a background check to serve as a Volunteer.
Check the Work Study Center jobs listing in summer for the official opening of the position. Complete this form at any time for interest in this position for the 2026-2027 academic year: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/F0zmnJdsCV
AmeriCorps Volunteers are granted a $1565.08 education award at the completion of 300 hours of service which includes meetings, professional development, and community hours. CSAs are also paid twice monthly using their Work-Study Financial Aid award at $21.90/hour, not to exceed their award limits per quarter.
By serving as a Community Service Assistant, students will be able to:
- Identify their leadership strengths and challenges using a cultural capital framework
- Implement creative activities with other staff members that are aligned with personal values and support the mission of the office
- Articulate in their own words the connection between traditional leadership skills, cultural capital, volunteerism and community engagement, and career development
The following breaks down each quarter's professional development plan
Fall Quarter:
- Building the team through activities designed to learn more about those in the group, first with basic introductions then diving deeper into personalities, strengths, challenges, backgrounds, and identities that each member embodies.
- Introduce leadership and personality traits through simple assessments such as True Colors.
- Learn about the Cultural Wealth model by Dr. Tara Yosso and how each capital presents in our daily lives.
- Discuss the decolonization of community service so that we are practicing contemporary critical service engagement.
Winter Quarter:
- Write SMART goals
- Discuss personal "successful failures" and "impactful moments"
- Review professional communication skills and inclusive practices
- Discuss career development and incorporating community engagement into a profile
Spring Quarter:
- Dive deeper into leadership and team building skills using Dr. Brene Brown's Dare to Lead book and exercises
- Reflect and tie together leadership, community engagement, and career development
Find our upcoming events on our W.I.N. events list and by subscribing to our newsletter by emailing the Community Engagement Coordinator at community.engagement@wwu.edu
Staff
