Student Team Leaders & Logistics Assistants
Service Day 2009 - We Need You!
The annual College Park Scholars Service Day is Friday, August 28. That day, approximately 900 new Scholars and 150 faculty, staff, and student team leaders fan out across the D.C. area to complete one-day service projects. We need your help for this community tradition!
Currently, we are looking for Student Team Leaders and Logistics Assistants who will assist on Service Day. Also, Student Team Leaders must attend a required training on campus a few days prior. Student Team Leaders and Logistics Assistants do not need to have prior leadership experience – we are looking for people with positive attitudes and a willingness to help new students!
Some of the important reasons that we use Student Team Leaders include:
- New students want to talk with other students who have “been there” (i.e., experienced Scholars and college life)
- You help keep the day in perspective for the first-year students
- You help staff and faculty manage Service Day by answering questions and providing leadership to the new Scholars
- You serve as role models by showing how you relate to faculty and behave at the service site
We also need Logistics Assistants to make Service Day a success. This role is important for the following reasons:
- You help keep student traffic flow moving along
- Service Day requires extra hands to manage its organization and set-up
- You serve as role models by showing how you relate to faculty, staff, students, and team leaders
Lend a hand as a Logistics Assistant
The Scholars Central Staff members are looking for students who wish to be Logistics Assistants on Service Day. These individuals help direct students to the opening ceremony, assist at check-in tables, and perform other administrative duties on the morning of Service Day. Once Logistics Assistants are identified, specific job responsibilities will be assigned. You can complete the 2009 Student Involvement Opportunities Application and submit it to Tabetha Mwita (thohneke@umd.edu or 1134 Cumberland Hall) by Wednesday, May 27, for the fullest consideration.
Join the ranks of the Team Leaders
Scholars’ faculty and staff from each program identify and select students to become Student Team Leaders for their program on Service Day. You are encouraged to make contact with your faculty or staff members. If you want to be considered, you can download and complete the 2009 Student Involvement Opportunities Application. Applications are due to your program faculty or staff member(s) by Wednesday, May 27, for the fullest consideration.
A great opportunity!
Student Team Leaders have the opportunity to work closely with faculty and new students on Service Day. They tell us that they enjoy bonding with other Scholars, gaining leadership experience, and performing community service. Also, being a Student Team Leader is a fun experience to share with friends in Scholars and a great reason to come back to campus early. Here are just a few things previous Team Leaders had to say about their experience…
- Meet new Scholars!
- "Service Day was good for bonding, and I enjoyed meeting the new students."
- "I learned just how quickly people can bond. Everyone has at least one thing in common!"
- Be a leader!
- "I learned to become more of a leader and to step outside of my box and talk to people that I don’t know."
- "I learned how much I enjoy leadership, and that I like helping students learn and be encouraged."
- "The new students are in great need of role models and leadership."
- "The students really need direction and a strong sense of purpose to want to do what they are doing."
- Serve your community!
- "I learned that one person really can make a difference in someone else’s life. I also realized just how blessed I am – there are much less fortunate then me."
- "I learned about the diverse community that I am a part of. I am greatly shielded by it when living on campus in College Park."
- "People at the service sites are enjoyable. They represent a good cause for this area, and we help them a lot by coming here."
- "Students are willing to do anything, including digging in the dirt, if they are provided guidance. It’s important to turn to their peers and leaders equally."
Frequently Asked Questions:
What’s the time commitment for Logistics Assistants and Student Team Leaders?
Student Team Leaders have responsibilities on two days. Students in these roles must:
- Attend Student Team Leader training - Wednesday, August 26, 1:00 pm – 4:30 pm
- Attend Service Day – Friday, August 28, 8 am – 3:30 pm
Logistics Assistants are needed only on Service Day. Students in these roles:
- Assist in the morning on Service Day on Friday, August 28. We ask for 1-3 hours of help, and the times are somewhat flexible. The earliest shifts start at 7:30am
- Are not required to attend Student Team Leader training
What will I be doing if I'm a Student Team Leader?
Service Day Team Leaders have a variety of responsibilities. You will work with the faculty for your Scholars’ program to determine the specific roles you will play on Service Day at your site. Previous leaders have articulated the different roles they played, in their own words:
- "I led small groups in their own small project. I facilitated interaction between Scholars students and contributed to the Service Day activity - all with a great attitude!"
- "I joined right in alongside the faculty and students to help coordinate the project efforts."
- "I helped lead the students and organize where they went. I explained the purpose of Service Day to them. Also, I answered any questions they had."
- "I learned how fun it is to work with the new students in service! I gave them the ‘ins and outs’ of being freshmen in college."
- "I facilitated the reflection conversation. Also, I kept students accountable in completing their service."
If I am a Student Team Leader, where will my site be?
Typically, College Park Scholars is involved in service at approximately 25 different sites each year for service. Our sites are concentrated in Prince George’s County, Montgomery County, and the District. Past service activities have included painting facilities, removing invasive plants at area parks, cleaning storage facilities, playing with children at local schools, picking vegetables, and preparing meals for people who are homeless.
Your Scholars program faculty and staff are currently working to identify their site(s) for August 2009. You should check with your Scholars program director or associate director(s) for their specific plans. Specific details will become available online at http://scholars.umd.edu by mid-July.
What should I wear?
One of the powerful sights on Service Day is the sea of Scholars t-shirts visible in the community. Our new students will receive their first Scholars t-shirt to wear on Service Day. We ask that faculty, staff, Logistics Assistants and Student Team Leaders wear a Scholars shirt of another color, to be distinguishable from the first-year students. If you do not have a Scholars shirt, we ask you to wear a red Maryland shirt.
For Student Team leaders, old clothes and closed-toe shoes are required. Please do not wear sandals, flip flops, or crocs. Also, please remember to bring allergy or other medications, if appropriate. A hat may be helpful if you are at an outdoor site, as well as sunscreen, a personal water bottle, insect repellant, and sweat bands. Some people also find it useful to bring a small backpack in which to store lunch and water. Once your site has been finalized, you will be able to find specific recommendations on your program’s Service Day web page.
