Community Engagement
Students, faculty and staff play an important role in moving the college's mission forward and creating a more equitable world. Community engagement directly impacts the policies, programs and public services in our local communities. Now is the time to get involved!
Volunteer opportunities are available within the college, across campus and throughout our local community.
On the third Monday of January each year, we celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, a federal holiday marking the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. and honoring his achievements toward racial equity. Dr. King dedicated and sacrificed his life advocating for civil rights and nonviolent resistance against racial injustice.
As a college community, we know well that education is part of the solution to threats to an equitable and just democracy. MLK Day presents an additional opportunity for us to reflect and act in our communities.
"Observed each year on the third Monday in January as ‘a day on, not a day off,’ MLK Day is the only federal holiday designated as a national day of service to encourage all Americans to volunteer to improve their communities " – AmeriCorps, MLK Day
For the past several years, we have organized and participated in incredibly successful #EdTerpsVote and #EdTerpsEngage campaigns as part of a larger effort to support sustained civic engagement among our college community. In the same spirit, we celebrate Dr. King’s legacy and the national day of service on the holiday; we are also extending our commemoration, reflection, and action throughout the school year.
We invite you to engage with, learn about, and serve in our communities by volunteering to make a positive difference.
On MLK Day
Near College Park
- The City of College Park has several activities and events planned to observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Nationwide
- The AmeriCorps Volunteer Search provides a database of volunteer opportunities across the country, with a special filter for MLK Day activities.
MLK Day and Beyond
Our goal is to integrate the MLK Day spirit of service into our work throughout the year. Join us in this initiative by using following resources to find ongoing service opportunities:
- AmeriCorps Volunteer Search
- Maryland’s Governor’s Office on Service and Volunteering
- Services 24/7 is run by UMD’s Office of Leadership and Community-Service-Learning and it connects students with opportunities to learn and serve with nonprofit organizations throughout Prince George’s County.
Teacher Resource Guide
We also created a guide designed to help educators create lessons about Dr. King, his legacy, and his call to service that can be incorporated into the curriculum throughout the year. There is also a section designed to help teachers support their students participating in service.
National Day of Service and Remembrance
Every year, around the anniversary of 9/11, we engage in service and reflection. Below are some of the activities we've done in past years.
- Operation Stick It: 9/11 Now in its ninth year, the student-run event, which is sponsored by the TerpVets Student Association and the Office of Student Veteran Life, brings together veteran and military-connected students, faculty, staff, alumni, first responders from College Park, students from the Muslim Students’ Association, and the greater campus community to plant 3,000 flags on the McKeldin Mall to remember the lives lost on 9/11, and to call for unity.
- September 11: Annual 9/11 Flag of Honor Memorial Across America Memorials at Meade High School Stadium. This event is organized by the college’s public school partners in Anne Arundel Public Schools, Meade High School’s Signature and AVID programs, Glen Burnie’s Signature program, and the Anne Arundel County Public Schools Student Service Learning Leadership Team.
- September 11: The college’s Civic Education & Engagement Initiative will co-facilitate a leadership retreat with the Maryland Civic Education Coalition for their Youth Advisory Council. The event is being hosted by partners at Hood College, with support from Transform Mid-Atlantic. For more information, contact Lena Morreale Scott at LScott12@umd.edu.
Good Neighbor Day is a collaborative partnership between the University of Maryland, the City of College Park, the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), and the Department of Parks and Recreation, Prince George's County.
Every year, members of the College of Education community participate in an event.
Take a look to see how you can engage.