The experiences listed below are pre-approved for the Distinction in Community Engagement and can be completed at any time after you have signed up for the RHED program.

  • Jumpstart: Complete 1 year as an AmeriCorps member with Jumpstart.
  • Immersive Scholars Community Placements: Complete your hours of work with a partnership placement at a nonprofit or government agency in the Lowell area, through your Immersive Scholars Award (only applicable to awarded students – cannot be applied for).
  • Work Study Community Placements: Work with a nonprofit or government agency in Lowell area.
  • Alternative Spring Break: Complete a UMass Lowell Student Activities organized Alternative Spring Break.
  • eNable Lowell: Create a prosthetic for a child from start to finish.
  • Haiti Development Studies Center: Travel to Haiti Development Studies Center for 1 week or more on a project.
  • PALS volunteer: Volunteer as a PALS tutor through Lowell High School for 1 year.
  • SAYDANAR volunteer: Volunteer as a Saydanar tutor for 1 year.
  • All Hands & Hearts Smart Response: Travel for one week or more working in a disaster relief capacity (if you earned credit for it should be logged as a course, please only list as an experience if you did not earn UMass Lowell credits).
  • Engineering Organizations: Engineers for Change (EFC), Engineers for a Sustainable World (ESW), American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Society of Women Engineers (SWE), National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), Society Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE).
Option: Students may propose a custom-designed experience
  • Submitted by student to reflect their individual experiences
  • Must meet at least half of the Distinction's learning outcomes
  • All submissions must be made prior to starting the experience
  • Individual request approval is managed by the RHED committee members