Volunteer Opportunities with AUR Student Life
Community Service with MADACTION
The United Nations declared 2011 to be the International Year of Forests, and has invited the world to take action to strengthen conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests for the benefit of current and future generations. AUR is thrilled to be newly involved in an effort for a better world for Madagascar, and for us all. MADAction is a project for the study and protection of the extraordinary Maromizaha rainforest, situated in east Madagascar, and for the sustenance of the villages the forest surrounds.
AUR student volunteers can help in organizing and managing fundraising projects and events, including sales and awareness campaigns during midterm and finals. Each event will be preceded by three start up meetings and a follow up.
This is a new initiative at AUR; participating students will learn how to support a biodiversity conservation and sustainable development project in Africa, in collaboration with the Italian University of Turin and the U onlus NGO. All those interested in taking part are highly encouraged to come to AUR Student Life or email studentlife@aur.edu.
Future plans include internships and even a trip to Madagascar!
A Service Certificate is issued to each participant at the end of the semester. Sign-ups for participation are taken at the beginning of each semester at Student Life.
Leaders in this shared initiative are the Università di Torino, the Université de Antananarivo, Madagascar National Parks, Parc Botanique et Zoologique Tsimbazaza, Groupe d’Etude ed de Recherche en Primates, the Durrell Foundation Antananarivo, Conservation and Research for Endangered Species (CRES) Zoological Society of San Diego and the Parco Natura Viva di Bussolengo – Verona.
Their objective is to share scientific research, environmental education and conservation and to involve as many people as possible in this effort.
For more information, students can also see www.madaction.eu and/or their Facebook “MadAction United Friends for Madagascar” group.
View an interview of Paola Richard about Madagascar on the RAI TV show Geo & Geo
Read an article by Paola Richard about Madagascar published in the Italian National Geographic magazine
Community Service at Caritas Roma
AUR students have worked community service together with the Caritas Diocesana di Roma (Catholic Charities of Rome), which provides food and shelter to those in need, since 2004. Student volunteers work in a number of different areas at the Caritas: working on the food line or in the hostel; helping with the distribution of food, sheets and clothing; helping with music or other entertainment.
Student volunteers must be at least 18 years old and have a little knowledge of Italian. The Caritas needs a commitment of an evening a week, for 4-5 hours. A Service Certificate is issued to each participant at the end of the semester.
Sign-ups for participation are taken at the beginning of each semester at Student Life; Student Life staff accompanies the volunteers for their first meeting and introduction to the shelter staff shortly thereafter, and maintains contact with the shelter through the semester service.
AUR Student Life also runs a blanket/food/clothing drive at the end of each semester so that students can donate clean linens and clothing, unopened foods and even toiletries to the Caritas Shelter.
The AUR Reach Out Club as well as the AUR Girl Scouts have also taken up collections to benefit the Caritas Shelter.
All those interested in participating in Community Service Activities are highly encouraged to come to AUR Student Life or email studentlife@aur.edu.
