The OLSL sponsors or co-sponsors several service events each year for UNCG faculty, staff and students. Watch our announcements and calendar for information on upcoming events!

Spartan Service Day

What: Spartan Service Day is a part of the larger “Welcome Week” organized through the Office of Orientation. The entire week is designed to welcome first-year students to campus and to introduce them to the opportunities available in the UNCG and Greensboro communities. The Spartan Service Project provides first-year students with a way to become involved through volunteerism. In past years UNCG has partnered with the Friends Home of Guilford, Welfare Reform Liaison Project, Servant Garden, and Cove Creek Gardens, among others, providing a wide range of opportunities for student interest and community involvement.

When: Usually the first Saturday before classes begin.

Volunteer & Service-Learning Fair

What: A time when more than 40 community organizations come to campus to tell students about their volunteer and partnership opportunities. This event is designed to give students a chance to consider volunteer service opportunities, allow students enrolled in fall service-learning courses a chance to explore sites that match their interests and course requirements, and give UNCG the chance to see the good work being done in the community.

When: Early Fall semester

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service

What: UNCG participates in the national day of service that takes place on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. The purpose is to take a day off and make it a day “on”, engaging students in service in honor of Dr. King. In 2009, UNCG hosted a “Read-On” that brought young children and their families to campus to participate in various activities including reading children’s books with UNCG students, listening to an African storyteller, watching an MLK documentary, and art activities. Each child received free books to take home with them.

When: On or around MLK Day, Jan. 19th.

Empty Bowls

What: A collaboratve effort between OLSL, Campus Activities and Programs, Multicultural Affairs, and the Make A Difference House Living-Learning Community, Empty Bowls serves to raise awareness and educate the campus community on issues of hunger and homelessness. Early in the spring semester, campus volunteers paint ceramic bowls that are then fired. Service and educational opportunities focused on hunger and homelessness are presented. And, later in the spring, the bowls are sold with warm soup. The bowl serves as a reminder that there are always “empty bowls” in our world. Funds raised from the sale benefit a local organization working to address hunger and homelessness issues in Greensboro.

When: Throughout the Spring semester.