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MY USC EXPERIENCE ENGAGEMENTS
Build your My USC Experience transcript using this ever-growing bank of experiential learning opportunities. Whether you want to build on your studies or hone your leadership skills, you can filter your search to fit your course of study or browse based on your preferred type of engagement.
| Engagements | What to Expect | Type of Activity |
|---|---|---|
| Alpha Epsilon Delta | We are proud to be the premier pre-health honor society here at USC. We are made up of a diverse body of students who share a common passion for medicine and are dedicated to personal and professional growth. We strive to provide our members with the framework, community, and knowledge necessary to succeed in all fields of healthcare and beyond.
Joining AED is a great opportunity to improve personal and professional development, campus involvement, and leadership skills. We invite you to tour our site to learn more about what Alpha Epsilon Delta can do for you and your aspirations in health care. Recruitment takes place at the beginning of each fall and spring semester. PLEASE VISIT www.uofscaed.com for more information about us and our recruitment process! Registered Student Organization (RSO): student organizations that are independent legal entities from the University, have no delegated authority from the University, and do not perform functions on behalf of the university. | Campus Involvement, Leadership, Service, Workplace Experience |
| Alternative Break | Take a break from the books to give back. Connect with new friends as you work together in a small group to help lift a community in need. Recent destinations have included Asheville, North Carolina (food insecurity), and Panama City, Florida (shelter access and disaster relief). | Service |
| CEC LEAD Academy | The College of Engineering and Computing's LEAD program is a FREE one day experience held at our college designed to work in conjunction with the SC educational standards to provide high school students with hands-on experiences in a particular area of engineering and computing. Current undergraduate and graduate students may volunteer as facilitators. Reach out to the program managers if you're interested! | Leadership, Service |
| CEC Middle School Day | The College of Engineering and Computing hosts an annual learning experience for sixth through eighth grade students. The middle school students spend the day engaging in various experiments and learning experiences with our faculty and students, learning about various fields of engineering and computing. Current undergraduate and graduate students may volunteer as facilitators. Reach out to the program managers if you're interested! | Leadership, Service |
| CEC Student Competitions | Throughout the year the College of Engineering and Computing hosts a variety of student competitions for middle and high school students. Current undergraduate and graduate students may volunteer as judges for the event. Reach out to the program managers if you're interested! | Leadership, Service |
| CIEL Student Advisory Council Session | SAC members discuss, question, and debate presented topics and consider how their shared opinions can impact their peers and institution. They may collaborate with one another to reach a unanimous opinion or may state personal opinions, while demonstrating professionalism when opinions differ and understanding the importance of individual voices. | Service |
| Cocky's Reading Express | Cocky's Reading Express is the University of South Carolina's literacy outreach program. USC students travel the state with their friend, Cocky, visiting elementary schools across South Carolina. The students read to the children, and Cocky helps the children understand the importance of life-long reading. The program primarily serves students in 4K through second grade because research shows that if children acquire strong reading skills and a love of reading by the end of second grade they are more likely to succeed academically and graduate on time. Our priority is reaching students in under served public schools. | Campus Involvement, Service |
| Community Psychology Practicum - PSYC 489 | Gain hands-on field experience in psychology while you earn course credit. In this advanced semester-long course, you will volunteer about 45 hours of service to a community agency, applying the principles, theory and research you've learned on campus. Throughout the semester, you will write and reflect upon your experience and also participate in a small group advocacy project to address local homelessness. | Service |
| Community Service Ambassador | Be the change as a community service ambassador at a Midlands nonprofit organization. Campus staff will pair you with a partner in your interest area, and across one semester, you will dedicate 50 or more service hours (which can be applied toward Graduation with Leadership Distinction) to a meaningful project. You'll also meet and bond with other service-minded students at social issue discussions twice each month. | Service |
| Create-a-thon | Create-a-thon is an all-volunteer, pro bono effort that benefits everyone involved: Advancing the causes of deserving nonprofits, ramping up student skills, and bringing professional mentors and students together in an experience that is intense, challenging, rewarding - and fun. The elements that make this event successful is the real-world pressure-cooker environment, the camaraderie of so many creative college students collaborating face-to-face as one - and tossing in some friendly intra-mural competition. There's magic in this 24-hour marathon - an energy that feeds and fuels and produces some excellent communication products for the clients. | Service, Workplace Experience |
| Earth Day Festival | Students attend a fair-type event to meet students in organizations, campus offices, and community non-profits related to Environmentalism and Sustainability, to learn about how Columbia and USC are taking steps to become more environment-friendly and how they can play a role! | Service |
| ENGL 439: Creative Writing and Community Engagement | Description of Course:
Course will explore creative writing and community engagement, creative writing as community engagement. The course will explore tactical urbanism and its focus on human-centered design; public arts projects that disrupt routine, invite reflection, or facilitate human connection; and creative writing as social engagement and social activism. We will also read selected literary works that engage with ideas of identity, belonging, community, and writing as action. We will also meet with writers who are engaged in community projects or community service. You do not have to be a creative writing student or an education student to take the course, though the course will include creative writing assignments and readings on education and service learning. Description of Beyond the Classroom Component: The class is a service-learning course. As part of the course, students will work with the instructor Ed Madden, who is completing his term as the city's poet laureate this fall, to design and implement community arts projects. Course / Section Number: ENGL 439 section 003 | Campus Involvement, Service |
| Gamecock CommUnity Pal | Students assist CommUnity Shop clients, sort donations, and shelve inventory in the Gamecock Pantry. They also serve as educational resources at tabling events. | Service |
| Gamecock CommUnity Shop Executive Board | Student board members serve as the primary points of contact for Pantry Pal volunteers, manage pantry operations, marketing/communications, strategic planning, and assessment; and support volunteer recruitment, training, and provide feedback and reflection opportunities. | Service |
| Gamecock Pageant Club | The Gamecock Pageant Club brings scholarships to students through pageants. We offer students a place to enhance their interviewing, leadership, and networking skills as well as provide them an opportunity to go higher than themselves through service to others. Having the Gamecock Pageant Club helps girls get involved with pageants including our very own- Miss Gamecock. Our goal is to empower women and give them a sisterhood of well rounded role models and friends.
Registered Student Organization (RSO): student organizations that are independent legal entities from the University, have no delegated authority from the University, and do not perform functions on behalf of the university. | Campus Involvement, Service |
| Gamecocks For Positivity | Our mission is to spread positivity across the entire university by doing events/activities around campus that directly engage and help students. Our goal is to increase a sense of community, and improve mental health on campus.
Registered Student Organization (RSO): student organizations that are independent legal entities from the University, have no delegated authority from the University, and do not perform functions on behalf of the university. | Campus Involvement, Service |
| Green Thumbs | Preston students can engage in horticulture to experience the fun and sense of responsibility that comes from nurturing our environment. They are stewards of community areas including two vegetables plots and a meditation garden located in Preston's backyard. | Leadership, Service |
| Lancers Against Student Trafficking (LAST) | Do you want to be a part of the efforts to diminish human trafficking rates across our world? Take the first step by joining Lancers Against Student Trafficking (LAST). The purpose of this organization is to educate students about the dangers of trafficking by media, lecture, and event platforms. Members of LAST will also support law enforcement through events and community service. We want to create a LASTing effect within our community. | Campus Involvement, Service |
| MGMT 479: Advanced Issues in Entrepreneurship | Description of Course:
Intensive examination of situations currently faced by entrepreneurs and their firms and of practicable recommendations for action. Customarily involves consulting projects for local firms. Description of Beyond the Classroom Component: Work with small businesses and offer professional-quality analyses and recommendations to the business. Course / Section Number: MGMT 479 - all sections | Service, Workplace Experience |
| Network of Opportunities Toward Elderly Service | Open to any student, NOTES facilitates involvement with retirement/nursing homes in Columbia through offering ways for students to interact with the elderly. Volunteer opportunities are flexible; students can choose which affiliate location(s) and which timeslot(s) to attend. Musically-inclined students have opportunities to perform (solo, small-group, or ensemble) at informal venues for the elderly, while non-musical students can write letters and/or provide companionship to the elderly through conversation.
Registered Student Organization (RSO): student organizations that are independent legal entities from the University, have no delegated authority from the University, and do not perform functions on behalf of the university. | Campus Involvement, Service |
| Partners for Minorities in Engineering (PMECS) | PMECS is a partnership between educators and businesses to provide gifted minority students academic enrichment in the career areas of engineering and computer science. Formed in 1977, PMECS has been conducting annual summer workshops for high school students since 1978. Current undergraduate and graduate students may volunteer as camp facilitators. Reach out to the program managers if you're interested! | Leadership, Service |
| PEDU 100: Canine Fitness Connection | Description of Course:
A dog walking fitness program geared toward increasing physical activity. This promotional video that students made provides an overview of what to expect from the course. https://fb.watch/cOshVvFJvA/ Description of Beyond the Classroom Component: Work with Final Victory Animal Shelter and Pet's Inc. to care for animals and promote adoptions within the community. Course / Section Number: PEDU 100 section 001 and section 003 | Campus Involvement, Service |
| Preston Ambassadors | Preston Ambassadors regularly provide tours to prospective students and their families each semester, often showing Preston to more than 600 guests in one day. The group is guided by the Preston Ambassador Constitution. The team hosts social events throughout the year, including our traditional Cereal Killers and Sundaes on Sunday events, as well as planning the Gatsby Banquet and Awards Ceremony, an unforgettable annual end-of-the-year celebration. | Campus Involvement, Leadership, Service |
| RISE Ambassadors | The R.I.S.E. Ambassadors are an extension of the Gamecocks Stand Up bystander intervention program. They are a group of students who are passionate about supporting and empowering the USC community to engage in bystander intervention through their lens as students in supporting their peers. R.I.S.E. Ambassadors achieve this through creative exploration and implementation of student-driven initiatives.
Each semester, R.I.S.E. Ambassadors are tasked with developing and facilitating one project related to bystander intervention. Through this process, students explore what being an active bystander means for them individually, as a student group, and as a campus community. | Campus Involvement, Leadership, Service |
| Rotaract Club | Rotaract is a worldwide service organization affiliated with Rotary International and is open to all USC Lancaster students who are interested in community service and professional development. Volunteer opportunities are available. | Campus Involvement, Service |
| Safe Zone Workshop | Become an ally for the LGBTQ+ campus community. You'll learn about the LGBTQ+ experience, including risks, biases and harassment and find out where to go on- or off-campus for support. | Service |
| Save the Children Action Network Club | This organization shall serve the purpose of spreading awareness and advocating in support of issues affecting kids. We're building bipartisan will and voter support to make sure every child in the U.S. has access to high-quality early learning and that no mother or child around the globe dies from a preventable disease or illness. The policy priorities of this organization are to expand access to high-quality early learning programs domestically and to end the preventable deaths of mothers and children internationally.
Registered Student Organization (RSO): student organizations that are independent legal entities from the University, have no delegated authority from the University, and do not perform functions on behalf of the university. | Campus Involvement, Service |
| Service Saturday | Roll up your sleeves and help your neighbors on campus or in the Columbia community. Sign up with your friends or get to know other Gamecocks as you work together to complete a service project. Free lunch and transportation are provided. Program is offered once per month during the fall and spring semesters. | Service |
| Service-Learning - PALM 495 | An exploration of theories of service-learning with application of practical solutions to meet community needs. | Service |
| SPAN 305: Working with Hispanic Clients | Description of Course:
Cross-cultural approaches to interactions with persons of Hispanic origin in a variety of professional settings. Readings, speakers, media. Description of Beyond the Classroom Component: Volunteer service hours with schools or community organizations serving the Spanish-speaking population Course / Section Number: SPAN 305 - all sections | Campus Involvement, Service, Workplace Experience |
| SPAN 360: Spanish for Healthcare Professionals | Description of Course:
Spanish for Healthcare Professionals - Health professionals' functional and lexical language ability, cultural information, etiquette and protocol necessary to interact with Spanish speakers. Description of Beyond the Classroom Component: Volunteer hours with local hospitals/health care settings. Course / Section Number: SPAN 360 - all sections | Campus Involvement, Service |
| Student Pantry Student Worker | If you are struggling to get by and have little money for food, please feel free to stop by the
pantry to receive needed food items. All food inquiries are strictly confidential. Any questions please email Dr. Susan Cruise. If you need access to the food pantry outside of operating hours, please let us know. We will gladly work with your schedule as best as we can to ensure that you get what you need. | Campus Involvement, Service |
| Students Participating in Unified Recreation and Sports (SPURS) Club | SPURS will focus on supporting adapted sports and recreation both on campus and in the Columbia area. On campus, we will expose our members to different adapted sports through offering training and tournaments as well as participating in the intramural inclusive sports programming. In the Columbia area, we will volunteer with adapted sports and recreation programs offered in the community including wheelchair basketball and adapted yoga. This organization will be open to all USC students but will be particularly beneficial for students with disabilities and students looking to go into the rehabilitation or medical fields, as we will provide professional development opportunities for those who are interested in pursuing careers in occupational therapy, physical therapy, adapted physical education, special education, and other services provided for individuals with disabilities.
Registered Student Organization (RSO): student organizations that are independent legal entities from the University, have no delegated authority from the University, and do not perform functions on behalf of the university. | Campus Involvement, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Service, Workplace Experience |
| Summer Opportunities Fair (GARNET) | Hey Gamecocks!
Get ready to kick off your summer plans in style at the Summer Opportunities Fair on Wednesday, April 3rd, from 11 AM to 2 PM! Join the Graduation and Retention Network on Greene Street, right in front of Russell House, for a day packed with excitement. Representatives from all corners of campus will be there to chat with you about the awesome academic and extracurricular programs happening this summer. Whether you're into groundbreaking research, cool internships, or just want to explore new interests, we've got something for everyone! But wait, there's more! We've got games that will challenge your skills, free snacks and drinks to keep you fueled, and summer-ready prizes up for grabs throughout the day. Don't miss out on the chance to make this summer unforgettable! Mark your calendars and spread the word...this is one summer kickoff you won't want to miss. See you there! | Campus Involvement, Research, Service |
| Sustainability / Environmental Justice 101 Presentation | Students listen to an expert presenter on the tenets of Sustainability/Environmental Justice, the impact on our lives, current campus/city initiatives, and ways to get involved. Students are invited to reflect on how they play a role in campus sustainability and get involved in Climate Action. | Service |
| Sustainable Carolina Community Service | Students participate in a community service opportunity within the city of Columbia or campus community that addresses a Sustainable Development Goal. | Service |
| Sustainable Carolina Discussion Workshop | Workshops provide a safe space for students to discuss critical topics related to Climate Change and Sustainability. Topics are related to the UN�s Sustainable Development Goals, and are intended to help students learn about marginalized populations and build awareness around issues related to the environmental and social justice. | Service |
| Sustainable Carolina Garden | Students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members have the opportunity to volunteer and attend events at the Sustainable Carolina Garden. | Campus Involvement, Service |
| Sustainable Carolina Garden Tour | Students tour the garden, learn farming techniques, lend a hand, and maybe even sample some of the produce! (A portion of our produce is donated to the Gamecock CommUnity Shop and the rest is sold at the Healthy Carolina Farmer�s market.) | Service |
| Sustainable Carolina Hands-On Workshop | Students receive hands-on instruction from a well-trained peer educator to provide tangible strategies to make their daily actions more sustainable. These practical experiences can include cooking demos, sewing/textile workshops, repurposing, upcycling, nature walks, or at-home gardening. | Service |
| Sustainable Carolina Team Member | Sustainable Carolina Team Members serve on one of the campus sustainability teams, including Garden, K-12 Outreach, Campus Outreach, Environmental Justice, Green Certification, and Zero Waste. They work to build buy-in for sustainability practices by hosting programs, and teaching sustainability practices and the importance of a healthy lifestyle. | Service |
| Swipe-Out Hunger | Student Government, in partnership with Aramark, launched Swipe Out Hunger in Spring 2019. This program was created for students facing a lack of reliable access to sufficient quantities of affordable, nutritious food.
If selected to be a part of this program, participants will receive a block of additional meal swipes for the semester, donated by USC students, which can be used throughout the semester. These meal swipes can be used at all campus dining locations and will work like every other meal swipe! Participation in this program will not impact financial aid or scholarships. | Campus Involvement, Service |
| The AI & AGI Laboratory | The AI & AGI Laboratory researches artificial intelligence (AI) in relation to human general intelligence. Our experiments are designed to observe interactions between human intelligence and simulations of AI. We measure both cognitive-decisions and biometric-reactions of participants inside the laboratory. Doing so provides insights on how learning is affected both positively and negatively by AI technology. Outcomes of the experiment also provide predictions on the feasibility, limitations, and risks of AI's pursuit of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). Broad questions we explore include: Is AI changing the way we think? How does human intelligence overcome AI's limitations? How can AI address these limitations to move closer to AGI? Ultimately, we hope the process of attempting to answer these questions provide a deeper understanding of what differentiates humans from artificial creations. | Campus Involvement, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Research, Service |
| The Information Science Student Association (ISSA) | The Information Science Student Association (ISSA) works to promote social activities, professional networking, tutoring and mentoring opportunities, community service, and speakers within the field of Information Science. Whether you are an Information Science major, minor, or simply interested in expanding your knowledge of the subject, ISSA has something for everyone.
| Campus Involvement, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Educational Support, International Learning, Leadership, Research, Service |
| Y-Impact | Youth Impacting Minds, People and Communities Together (Y-IMPACT) is a service organization within Preston that focuses on areas such as education, community engagement, and health and wellness. The group, which is involved in several service projects plus local and international philanthropy. | Campus Involvement, Leadership, Service |