Two days into the spring semester and the UB Ballroom is already bustling with activity.
Student coordinators from the Hartman House, along with faculty and community members, lined the walls of the ballroom this afternoon with tri-fold boards and colorful posters advocating for their volunteer opportunities at the Spring DePauw Service Fair.
“By the time Springtime comes around, I think people have sort of gotten a good understanding of what free time they have and they’re just sometimes looking for more ways to get involved,” Chelsea Naylor ‘14, Coordinator of Community-based Learning at the Hartman House, said. “It [The Spring Service Fair] is just like a second dive-in for opportunities.”
During her time at DePauw, Naylor was a Bonner School and started the JumpstART program, which facilities art activities for children. Now, ten years after starting her service work in Greencastle, she leads about 20 student coordinators as they direct programs throughout the community.
“Anywhere from working at Asbury Towers with a senior friend, to the Humane Society, to mentoring in the schools, after school programs all sorts of things,” Naylor said.
The Hartman House connects students with nonprofit and government organizations across Putnam County and the state with some internship level work for students like Bonner Scholars.
Additionally, there are off campus opportunities such as Timmy Global Health and an upcoming May Term to El Salvador with the organization CoCoDa. One concern for these trips and the people leading them is the ethical aspect and listening to community needs. The group will be building a community as requested by the local community, according to Howlett.
“I think it's a great program in terms of both learning about history and service but also problematizing history and services, so thinking about the ethical implications.” Caitlin Howlett, education professor said.
To get involved email the Hartman House at Hartman@depauw.edu or directly contact the student coordinator a program. Information about off-campus trips is available on Horizons and the deadline to sign up for 2020 May terms is March 1.
Naylor said, “Our coordinators are trying to recruit students all semester, all year, to get them involved.”