Special Events

Volunteerism and Class Project

IPVS students participate in Team Building activities

Institute students participate in a class project designed to create a mechanism that allows them to directly impact the Washington, D.C. community through philanthropy and service.

This interactive project allows students to develop a mission statement, organize a variety of service projects, and develop a system for soliciting and evaluating grant proposals. Students serve on one of six committees where they plan volunteer activities, sponsor events to raise money, or review grant proposals.

Please click here to view full committee descriptions and student responsibilities.

Each year, the class plans and implements service projects and fundraisers related to the mission statement.

Past Volunteer Projects Include:

• Creative Writing Workshop for kids at Community Family Life Services
• Mentored and planned activities for the children in the Campagna Kids Program during a field trip to a local museum.
• Safety Training for at-risk inner city children
• Ice Cream Social for families at the Ronald McDonald House
• Sports Day at a summer leadership camp for youth
• Canned food drive to benefit a local homeless shelter
• Building a mosaic of local heroes at a city park
• Clearing brush for a community amphitheater
• Carnival for youth campers at Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind
• Leadership and teambuilding activities for YMCA Counselors in Training
• International Fair for inner-city kids at Beacon House

• Community Yard Sale
• Silent Auction
• Raffle

“I have made lifelong friends who share the same career goals and challenges as myself in the nonprofit sector, as well as received mentorship that I would not have otherwise been able to get.”
Sharunda Chairse
University of Wisconsin at Madison
Intern, M.O.M.I.E’s TLC

“My opportunity in DC has been priceless and I’ve learned so much from my internship, classes and about life in DC.”
Jessica Rust
Minnesota State University-Mankato
Intern, YMCA

In addition to student organized service projects, IPVS students have the opportunity to become Team Leaders for service projects planned by The Fund for American Studies. These projects are for students in all four of the summer programs to come together for one day to perform various projects throughout Washington D.C.

2007 IPVS Students host a community yard sale to raise money for DC Youth

Past Projects Include:

• Stream clean-up and park revitalization at Marvin Gaye Park
• Meal preparation at DC Central Kitchen and Food & Friends
• Playground restoration at Community Family Life Services
• Working with the elderly at The Washington Home
• Sorting and Organizing food at Capital Area Food Bank
• Moving books and supplies at Booker T. Washington Charter School
• Cleaning and preparing lunch alongside the women at Rachael’s Women’s Center
• Cleaning and organizing the Asian American LEAD Community Center
• Delivering meals to homebound senior citizens in Northwest DC through IONA Senior Services’ Weekend Home Delivered Meal Program
• Sprucing up a garden in Anacostia Park with Student Conservation Association