Volunteer Venture

Volunteer Venture is a one-week service-learning Leading Edge program for incoming students. It introduces them not only to each other, but also to the Shepherd Program, its academic offerings in poverty and human capability studies, and opportunities in community engagement.  

“The most valuable aspect of my Volunteer Venture experience was its offering of a multitude of perspectives on the causation of poverty in the Appalachian region. I became aware that issues of poverty and sustainability do not have simple, black-and-white solutions, but rather that solutions are hard to grasp and often exist in a grey area of understanding. It was tough to accept the realization that problems of poverty require multidisciplinary solutions that are not unaware of the future because this is surely more complicated than an easily procured, one-sided solution.” -Volunteer Venture Charleston Participant

“The most valuable aspect was learning about human dignity and how all people deserve it.” -Volunteer Venture Washington, D.C. Participant

“Interacting directly with the individuals that we were providing services for drastically changed my views on poverty and individuals experiencing homelessness.” -Volunteer Venture Lexington Participant

“The trip immersed me in the issues of homelessness and poverty, which I had not been directly involved in prior. The volunteer work my group did at various shelters, community organizations and schools was eye-opening and educational. The Injustice Walk we did throughout a section of Baltimore and being able to interact with people at Paul's Place in particular were highly rewarding experiences. On top of all of that, I was very nervous about college, but this program allowed me to connect and bond with both other first years and upperclassmen, making me much more comfortable and confident upon my return to campus!” -Volunteer Venture Baltimore Participant