The Utah Valley University Center for Social Impact is a place that enables citizens to make a social impact within their communities. The Center for Social Impact yields student experiences in six diverse pathways of social impact. These pathways include direct service, community-engaged learning and research, social entrepreneurship and corporate social responsibility, policy and governance, community organizing and activism, and philanthropy.
Resources from the Center for Social impact are available to students, faculty, staff, and community members. Being a member of the center allows individuals to participate in programs and events, and volunteer or recruit volunteers. It can also enhance academic experience through the center’s coursework, research, and scholar distinction. Cassie Bingham, Program Director of Impact Program Design, states that the Center for Social Impact’s mission is to aid citizens in making an impact with their communities.
The Center for Social Impact is currently in its third year. Before, it was the Volunteer and Service Learning Center for over twenty years. Regardless of being a different center, the alumni were taught some of the same principles which impacted how they strategize, think, and how they carry themselves as leaders in their circles of influence to this day.
Students can also participate by becoming Social Impact Fellows. The Social Impact fellows are in charge of planning and implementing student-run programs and events that impact UVU and the community, according to the center’s website. Social Impact Fellows are trained on the principles, methodologies, and pathways of social impact, with the goals to help them plan and execute meaningful impactful experiences, and enhance their personal development, leadership skills, and critical strategic thinking ability throughout their entire leadership term.
“With this team of different positions,” began Bingham. “We’re able to set goals that really cover all of the different things that we need to accomplish as a Fellows team, in terms of our events, our programs, and the way that we bring them to students.
“I’ve written – I cannot even count how many – recommendation letters for past Social Impact Fellows because we get a chance to work really closely with you and so it’s easy for us to feel like we can write a really great and robust letter of recommendation,” explains Bingham.
Social Impact Fellow Bre Lambert, who is chasing after a Master’s in Social Work, stated her experience at the center has held doors open for her. She says that the directors of the program want students to leave feeling like they were helped, especially with their resumes and finding their careers.
“It’s been really cool to see how social impact impacts all of us in our different career opportunities but has definitely helped each of us as far as moving forward,” said Lambert.
Lambert describes her overall experience as Social Impact Fellow as ”amazing”. Her involvement in social programs has led her to receive job offers after she graduates. Lambert says that being a Social Impact Fellow has helped her think professionally in an effective way and has provided her with relationships that will last even after graduation.
“I do think that this is a really unique experience because we get to talk about things that most students really care about,” started Bingham. “Most students care about improving the community. Most students care about ‘changing the world’. A lot of students are asking, ‘How? What are the most effective ways? What are the most ethical ways? What are the most sustainable ways?’ And this is an opportunity to get to dive into that for a full year with a close-knit group of fellow leaders while getting a scholarship and possibly internship credit, getting personally mentored by [the] staff here at the center for social impact, so I think it’s an incredible opportunity.”
For students who aren’t able to be Social Impact Fellows, Lambert says that there are still plenty of ways to be involved with the Center for Social Impact. This could be volunteering for the center, finding one of the job opportunities that open frequently, following the podcasts, or watching the YouTube series where they interview people making a difference in the community.
Bingham is hoping for the program to gain more visibility and more applications by students. Applications are now open for the 2022-2023 school year and are not due until March 28, 2022, at 11:59 p.m.
More information about applying can be found on the Center for Social Impact Center website. You can begin the process of becoming a Social Impact Fellow through their application form. You can also find the link to apply through the bio of the Social Impact Center Instagram account @uvusocialimpact.
