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 River Hawk Experience Distinction (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 (UML) 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).
- Student-Led Focus Group Facilitator: Work as a member of the Inquiry Team leading focus groups on campus.
- The Merrimack Valley Housing Partnership (MVHP): Assist in training seminars in the emerging field of homeownership education.
- Adult Literacy Tutor: Volunteer as a literacy tutor at the Pollard Memorial Library in Lowell.
- Class Project: An individual or group project specifically related to the Distinction completed during a UMass Lowell class (that is NOT being used as a course requirement for the Distinction).
- Community Placements: Work with a nonprofit or government agency in the Lowell area.
- Faculty-led Thesis Research: Complete your project/paper/experience as part of a team, with a partner, or as a solo endeavor with the support of your mentor or faculty member.
If you are looking for additional community engagement experience ideas, visit the UMass Lowell Community Organizations page.
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