Volunteer Opportunities

Further your impact on UC San Diego and the San Diego community through these unique volunteering opportunities made available to Chancellor’s Associates donors. Are you looking for a particular way to get involved? Is there an area on campus with which you would like to become more connected? Call the Chancellor’s Associates office at (858) 534-7424 to discuss your specific volunteer interests.

UCSD Alumni Association
There are numerous opportunities for UCSD alumni to get involved with volunteer activities, including participating in regional and special interest alumni chapter leadership, coordinating alumni events, attending new student recruitment events and act as career mentors for students, as well as provide internships or job positions to alumni and students.

For more information, contact: Sarah Zakaria, Manager, Volunteer Engagement, (858) 534-1125, szakaria@ucsd.edu.

UCSD Visitors Program
Throughout the year, the university relies on dedicated adult, volunteer tour guides to conduct walking and mini-van tours of the UC San Diego campus. Individuals must be willing to commit to an eight-week training course of walking and driving the campus to familiarize themselves with tour routes.

For further information, contact Corlyn E. Vance, (858) 534-4414, cvance@ucsd.edu.

Birch Aquarium at UCSD Scripps Institution of Oceanography
The Birch Aquarium relies heavily on the support of 300+ volunteers who help to interpret ocean science to K-12 school children and the general public. Volunteer positions include tide pool interpreters; aquarium docents; and museum docents.

For more information, contact: Terri Brookhart, (858) 534-5604, volunteers@aquavelva.ucsd.edu, or go to www.aquarium.ucsd.edu.

The Preuss School UCSD Mentorship Program
The Preuss School, a public middle/high school located on the UCSD campus, is dedicated to providing an intensive college preparatory education for motivated low-income students who will become the first in their families to graduate from college.

Members of the community can serve as mentors for Preuss students. Mentors act in a capacity of role model, teacher, and friend. A mentor is paired with one student, and they meet on the school's campus either during lunch or the Advisory period at least once a week for 30 minutes.

For more information contact: Eva Mejia, Volunteer Coordinator for Preuss School, (858) 658-7473, emejia@ucsd.edu or visit http://preuss.ucsd.edu/volunteer/.

UCSD Advocates
As a network of individuals interested and active in the political process, UCSD Advocates play a crucial role in promoting the university by informing elected officials at the federal, state and local levels of the positive academic, economic and social impacts UC San Diego has on our region and state.

For more information or to enroll as a UCSD Advocate, please visit http://capwiz.com/ucsd/home/.

UCSD International Center Programs
The UCSD International Center’s American English in Action (AEIA) Program provides a venue for volunteer tutors to offer assistance with English conversation, and insights into U.S. culture for visiting international researchers and students, and their spouses. Tutors normally meet with their matched students for one to two hours each week, at a time and place convenient for both. A minimum 12-month commitment is required. AEIA tutors have access to the materials and resources of the International Center.

The Host Family Program involves volunteers who provide overnight hospitality to international students and scholars who have just arrived in the United States and are new to UC San Diego. Host families serve as invaluable resources in welcoming and introducing international students and scholars to American life, the UCSD campus and the San Diego community.
Other volunteer opportunities include: International Café on Fridays, orientation assistants, International Partners Program and the Language Exchange.

For more information and/or an application form, contact:
Kim Signoret-Paar, (858) 822-1536, kspaar@ucsd.edu
or visit http://icenter.ucsd.edu/volunteer.html.