Dudley House Public Service for International Students
Why volunteer?
Participating in public service activities while at Harvard not only makes an important contribution to our community, but also gives you the opportunity to take a break from the rigors of academia, share your diverse interests and talents, meet new people, and get to know Boston and Cambridge. International graduate students in particular have special talents to offer to their new community, including language skills and diverse cultural knowledge.
As the United Way of Massachusetts Bay writes in Simple Things You Can Do to Make a Difference in Greater Boston (1996):
"Every day in greater Boston, in its small towns and larger cities, a child waits to have a mentor. A young parent needs literacy skills. An elderly grandfather looks forward to visiting with and talking with someone. At no time has the work of volunteers been more critical to the health of our communities than it is today.... Our communities in greater Boston are home to 775,000 illiterates and functional illiterates, 6,000 homeless families, 12,000 hungry children, 24,000 abused children, and 6,500 pregnant teens. There are as many different ways to volunteer as there are people who want to help."
Enjoy working with enthusiastic kids from diverse backgrounds? Want to try out your culinary skills at a local soup kitchen serving meals for the homeless? Whether you are a government student from India interested in human rights, a physics student from Brazil hoping to mentor a budding young scientist, or a biology student from China looking to share your cultural heritage with others, Dudley House and Harvard provide numerous opportunities for involvement in Public Service.
To learn more about these volunteer opportunities for international students, or if you have ideas or questions, please contact your Dudley Public Service Fellows.