Volunteer and Community Service Opportunities
Law schools, medical schools, and many health professions programs often prefer applicants with a commitment to service and a record of volunteering that reflects an active engagement with the world around them. For an undergraduate student with little work experience, volunteering can be one of the most effective ways to develop a variety of professional skills that will be valued by professional schools and prospective employers.
Important: Note that shadowing and volunteering are not the same thing. Shadowing is observing (as in the term, "clinical observation"); whereas volunteering is participating, helping out.
Lists of Service Opportunities and Organizations
One of the best local resources for finding volunteer opportunities in the Bloomington area is the City of Bloomington Volunteer Network Website, updated weekly.
The 2-1-1 Infolink Community Resource Directory provides a listing of agencies in our community that often need volunteers.
The IUB Community Connection page also lists many volunteer opportunities.
In addition, the IU Office of Overseas Studies maintains a list of overseas volunteer opportunities, which students sometimes undertake during the summer months.
Below you'll find some individual agencies that provide very good volunteer opportunities for students. As always, we encourage you to discuss your professional development with your academic advisor.
Additional Bloomington-Area Service Organizations
IU Health Bloomington Hospital Volunteer Information
IU Health Bloomington Hospital Shadowing Information (Please note: students can apply to be placed through this application process to shadow health professionals at IU Health except for physicians and nurse practitioners. If you would like to shadow a physician at IU Health you must first contact the physician directly and receive approval for shadowing. For advice on how to contact physicians for shadowing please go to the Clinical Experience page in the Medicine section.)
Community Kitchen of Monroe County IN
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