"Service is an excellent opportunity to learn about yourself while helping others."
-Robert Madden, 2001 Graduate

Community service involves applying your energy, enthusiasm, skills, and desire to make a difference to social issues that concern you. It is an excellent way to gain hands-on experience, enhance job-related skills, explore career options, and make a difference in social issues that concern you and meet real community needs. The following are just a few examples of how you can get involved in service related to the life sciences:

· CHEMISTRY/BIOCHEMISTRY:
Help test levels of pollutants and toxins in bodies of water; tutor high school students and other UM students in chemistry; be a judge in elementary and secondary school science fairs; visit local schools and encourage careers in the sciences, particularly with under-represented groups.
· ENTOMOLOGY:
Volunteer in the Smithsonian "bug room"; take children on nature walks and show them insect species; volunteer with political action and lobbying campaigns to save the environment.

· MICROBIOLOGY:
Volunteer to help test pollution levels in bodies of water, animal, and plant specimens for environmental watch groups; tutor other UM students taking microbiology courses; offer to help doctoral candidates and professors with lab work.
· PLANT BIOLOGY:
Volunteer at an arboretum; help inner city children, shelter residents, or people who are elderly develop garden plots in their neighborhoods; volunteer in national, state, and local parks as a naturalist; take children on nature hikes.
· ZOOLOGY:
Volunteer in zoos, animal refuge centers, animal shelters, and animal rescue facilities; lobby for animal rights with an animal rights organization; do presentations at local schools on the importance of conservation and protecting endangered species.
· PRE-MEDICINE, PRE-NURSING, PRE-DENTISTRY:
Volunteer at free clinics as an aide or medical technician; volunteer at AIDS clinics, hospitals, dental clinics, doctors' offices, and nursing homes; become an Emergency Medical Technician with your local rescue squad; help a shelter design a nutritional, low-cost meal plan.

Association for Women in Science
Washington, DC (202) 326-8940
Contact: Kathy Ruby, awis@awis.org
http://www.awis.org
Strives to achieve equity and full participation for women in science and technology.

Department of Natural Resources
Annapolis, MD (410) 260-8510
Contact: Terry Galloway,
tgalloway@dnr.state.md.us
http://dnr.state.md.us/forests/treemendous
A forest service program helping Marylanders plant and care for trees and shrubs on public land for the benefit of the natural environment.

Enviromentors Project
Washington, DC (202) 261-6484
Contact: Susan Carlson
Enables urban high school students to work one-on-one with scientists and environmentalists to conduct research and community action projects. There are some paid summer positions.

Garden Harvest
Glyndon, MD (410) 526-0698
Contact: Clara Larsen, garharvest@aol.com
http://www.gardenharvest.org
Works to alleviate hunger by growing and distributing fresh organic produce to agencies that feed the hungry. Teaches methods of sustainable agriculture and organic gardening, nutrition, and issues of hunger and homelessness.

The Jane Goodall Institute
Silver Spring, MD (301) 565-0086
Contact:Barbara Petway, bpetway@janegoodall.org
http://www.janegoodall.org
Committed to wildlife research, conservation, and environmental education.

Pets-DC
Washington, DC (202) 234-PETS
Contact: info@petsdc.org
http://www.petsdc.org
Assists people who have HIV/AIDS in caring for their pets. Offers in-home care, such as dog walking and cat box and cage cleaning. Provides financial assistance and transportation for vet care and grooming.

Prince George's County Health Department
Largo, MD 20774 (301) 630-2420
A public health care organization providing multiple health care maintenance and preventive health care to the community. Areas include: Teen pregnancy, STD's, HIV/AIDS, TB control, injury prevention, pedestrian safety, alcohol and drug abuse treatment.

University Health Center
College Park, MD (301) 314-8129
Students have the opportunity to volunteer in several areas including: pharmacy, dental health, women’s health, primary care, physical therapy, laboratory, and health education. Volunteers are accepted at the beginning of each semester, each volunteer is expected to commit a minimum of 2-4 hours a week.

University of Maryland Medical System
Baltimore, MD (410) 328-5600
http://www.umm.edu
Volunteer program for students involved in health care. Opportunities include: anesthesiology, emergency, child life, labor/delivery, occupational/physical therapy, pharmacy, radiology, pediatric aids, public relations, and management.

Washington Animal Rescue League
Washington, DC (202) 726-2556
Contact: volunteer@warl.org
http://www.warl.org
Operates an animal shelter to find homes for unwanted pets and provides low cost veterinary care for low-income residents of the DC metro area.

Washington Free Clinic
Washington, DC (202) 667-1106 ext. 19
Contact: Jordan Davis, wfclinicv@hotmail.com
www.wfclinic.org
Provides health care to the medically uninsured in the community. Volunteers provide lay health work with men's, women's, prenatal, HIV/AIDS testing, general medicine and pediatric clinics. Volunteers serve as Spanish/English interpreters, patient advocates and health educators.

Office of Community Service-Learning
1120 Stamp Student Union, University of Maryland, College Park 20742
301-314-CARE—http://www.csl.umd.edu—terpservice@umd.edu

Please Note: Inclusion in the Office of Community Service-Learning (OCSL) resources is not to be interpreted as an endorsement for any agency or organization listed here. As with any off-campus opportunity, the University is not responsible for any personal injury or loss that might result from your participation. Participants are strongly encouraged to read and implement the Good Questions to Ask and PARE handouts available through OCSL. Lastly, be aware of any special requirements or skills necessary to perform the service requested (i.e. construction, carpentry, landscaping) and do not feel compelled to execute tasks which are beyond your capabilities.

9/04