Curricular Community Engagement Opportunities for Students

Community engagement has tremendous potential to enhance the learning experience of students while benefiting our community. The concept of the “Plus 1” BU250 course is to allow students to add one credit hour of experiential learning to a pre-approved complimentary course by contributing 30 hours of work to a nonprofit partner. BU250 anchors the community-based learning experience to an academic discipline and course learning outcomes that ensure deep and rich learning. To make the greatest impact on both student learning and community benefit, the community-based learning experience should allow students the opportunity to observe, reflect, and engage in work relevant to the themes of the complimentary course.

To register for BU250:

1. Log into Handshake.
2. Click "Career Center" drop down menu in the top navigation bar.
3. Select "Experiences."
4. Click "Request an Experience" in the top right-hand corner.
5. Under the "Experience Type” drop down menu, click “BU250 Community-based Practicum.”
6. Select the term in which you will register the practicum experience.
7. You only need to fill out the required fields and your employer is the community organization partner. Your faculty sponsor will be the faculty member who is teaching your complimentary course (you’ll want to make sure they have approved supervising your practicum first). And your employer supervisor is the community organization contact who will approve your hours.
8. Once your proposal is submitted, the Center for Community Engagement will push it through Handshake for approvals and the Registrar will add it to your schedule for the upcoming semester.

Inspired to serve their community and be actively engaged in social justice issues, some students may choose to take a semester to focus on community action. Bellarmine has developed a structured “gap semester” experience to support students who want to respond to community needs AND stay on track to graduate with their cohort.

Students can elect to participate in a Service Semester (part-time enrollment) or a Co-op Semester (full-time enrollment) with the intention of enrolling full-time the following semester. Upon completing program requirements, students will receive a Service Scholarship Award of $2500 towards full-time enrollment plus summer half-tuition grants to stay on track to graduate. 

To register your internship for credit:

1. Log into Handshake.
2. Click "Career Center" drop down menu in the top navigation bar.
3. Select "Experiences."
4. Click "Request an Experience" in the top right-hand corner.
5. Under the “Experience Type” drop down menu, click “Internship for Academic Credit.”
6. Select 6 internship credit hours.
7. Select the term in which you will register for the Serve and Learn semester.
8. Please contact Lauren Coffey in the Career Development Center (lpieper01@bellarmine.edu) if you need assistance identifying the contacts for your internship.

Impact Grants are available to all Bellarmine University students, faculty, and staff to apply for on an ongoing basis. The purpose of the grants is to provide seed funding of $50-500 in support of innovative initiatives that are mutually-beneficial, sustainable, and create positive impact. Students applying for Impact Grants must have a faculty or staff sponsor.

• Impact Grant Application
• Impact Grant Overview and Process

The Community Engagement Access Fund supports a stipend for students pursuing unpaid experiences in the nonprofit or government sector of Louisville or Southern Indiana and who demonstrate a financial need. Students can request funds during the fall, spring, or summer terms, which can be used to complete a practicum (30-hour) at $9/hour, or an internship (90-hour) or co-op (180-hour) at $12/hour.

Students must apply for funding by completing this form before the following deadlines:

• Fall – August 1
• Spring – December 1
• Summer – May 1

Applications will be reviewed by committee and award recipients must meet with a member of the Career Development Center or the Center for Community Engagement to review the eligibility requirements and to connect students with community partners in the students' social justice area of interest. Funds will be distributed on a first come, first-served basis.

Student eligibility requirements include:

• Must pursue the experience for academic credit through your academic department to ensure accountability. Students must verify their experience by completing the Application and Proposal form in Handshake before the add/drop deadline each term.
• Must complete the virtual Learn to Serve Orientation.
• Must complete timecards to verify employment.

The application form can be found here. Contact Dr. Liz Todd Byron (etodd@bellarmine.edu) for more information.

Community engagement and volunteering is strongly encouraged at Bellarmine and we highly value the collaboration between our university and our local community in Louisville and southern Indiana. During your time here, you may find yourself involved in classes, student organizations, or other groups which require or offer off-campus volunteer activities. You may wish to volunteer your time somewhere outside of Bellarmine’s partnerships.

International students on an F-1 or J-1 visa must make sure that opportunities to volunteer or engage in do not violate rules regarding your student status. Make sure before you participate in an activity that you understand the difference between volunteering and employment. For more information click here.

Contact the Center for Community Engagement (CCE) at communityengagement@bellarmine.edu as well as International Support if you wish to discuss experiential opportunities.