Ways to Partner

We partner with the United Way of Central Iowa to promote volunteer opportunities and encourage all community partners to register for a free Get Connected Profile. Once your request is reviewed, you will have access to post volunteer opportunities to a broad audience. Participation on Get Connected is open to all non-profit agencies in Central Iowa.

To request the assistance of Drake volunteers please send us a link to your volunteer posting on Get Connected, Volunteer Local, or your website and we will publicize it through our Community Action Board as well as on www.drake.edu/volunteer. We will make every effort to promote your opportunity, but cannot guarantee the availability of volunteers.  

 Submit Your Opportunity

Statement of Limitation: Once a community engagement experience, event, or service-learning project is agreed upon, Drake University will make every effort to meet the needs of the partner. However, Drake University cannot guarantee the availability of volunteers for your activity. The Drake University faculty, staff, or students must register an interest in your activity before your need can be filled. Employee participation is subject to a manager's approval and personal availability. Drake University participation in community events is dependent on availability of faculty, staff, and students and the University's Academic Calendar.

Service-learning is a type of experiential education that combines and pursues both achieving academic learning and meeting a relevant community defined need while intentionally integrating the use of reflection and assessment. 

Students engaged in service-learning at Drake University will:

• Take ownership and responsibility for their own learning
• Apply knowledge and understanding to a new environment
• Reflect on the impact that engagement outside the classroom has on their understanding of a liberal education, academic discipline, or on the importance of societal and personal values
• Establish skills, knowledge, or dispositions that will lead them to be engaged citizens

Service-learning comes in many forms. At Drake we emphasize project completion vs. hours accumulation and stress that it will be easier to design projects if all students are involved in the community activity. For specific course examples, click here. 

Service-Learning Project Request:
To propose a service-learning project please complete the Community Partner Project Request.

 SL Project Request Form

Posting Employment Opportunities

We direct all job seekers to our Career bluePrint job board where all community partner agencies are free to post job and internship opportunities: www.drake.edu/career. This is a secure system, so you will need to register to receive a password. As soon as you receive your password, log into the system using your email address as the user name. 

Engaged Citizen Corps Service Year 

Drake University recruits partner agencies for the Engaged Citizen Corps program each academic year. Partner agencies host a first-year Drake student for a service-internship for the duration of their first year. Slots are filled for the 2018-2019 academic year but the application will open again soon for the following year. Check back! 

Questions? We strongly encourage interested partner agencies to contact the Engaged Citizen Corps Coordinator Amanda Martin or 515-271-2767 if they have questions or are uncertain about the funding and/or deadlines. 

Federal Work Study

There are a limited number of Federal Work Study positions reserved for work at community partners. Contact amanda.martin@drake.edu for more information. 

Drake’s Writing Internship Program

Since 2009, our writing interns have served at dozens of central Iowa community organizations; in human and public services, education, health, education, the environment and the arts. We believe that part of the “exceptional learning environment” called for in Drake’s mission statement is, in fact, a “real-world” learning environment where students learn about the needs and interests of central Iowans and the many organizations that exist to serve them.

How does it work?
Interns enroll for 1-3 academic credits in English 199, which provides students with individualized workplace experience that connects a student’s own goals and abilities with the needs of a campus or community organization. This translates into between 15 and 55 hours of work over the 15-week term. Projects can be short-term & project based, or longer term & on-going. Students provide their own transportation and are fully-insured for their off-campus course-related experience.

The course consists of a workplace portion and an academic portion.

• In the workplace portion students learn to complete writing projects in a professional setting according to the guidelines and timetable set by the organization or agency. They negotiate with their community partner regarding work hours and use of materials or equipment needed; transportation to and from the workplace; remote-workplace arrangements; submission format of work and timesheets; and communication protocol with their supervisor.
• The academic portion of the internship asks students to think and write about service and writing as an academic undertaking. They reflect on the social concerns addressed by their respective not-for-profit agencies; the challenges that can arise with campus-community partnerships; and the difference between writing for the classroom and professional writing for the workplace. Interns meet as a group to share reflections & insights on their experiences.

What kinds of writing projects can my organization get help with?

• Blogging • Copy-reading & proofreading • Fact-checking • Speech-writing • Grant-writing • Scripts for video & audio • Promotional copy • Social media writing • Interviews • Creative writing • Research reporting & analysis • Newsletters & updates • Profiles • Features • Advocacy • Fundraising • Timelines • Transcription • Press kits • Event planning 

We are open to your suggestions, too!

For more information please contact Director Carol Spaulding-Kruse, 515-271-3969.

Closing the Enrollment Gap

Drake seeks to be a partner in promoting a college-going mindset and we recognize that work begins well before a student reaches high school. Therefore we aim to provide access to all interested K-8 groups via a self-guided tour program (schedule and accommodations pending availability and the University's Academic Calendar). Priority given to organizations serving low-income and historically marginalized students. For more information on the self-guided tour contact us today.

Request Self-Guided tour

For high school and transfer students who want to get a first-hand look at what Drake has to offer please see our undergraduate campus visit page for details on how to get in on a visit day, schedule an individual visit, or reach your admission counselor.

Events & Sponsorships
Drake University receives dozens of request every year seeking financial support of local community events, galas and fundraisers. Participation and support is dependent on availability of funds, faculty, staff, students, and the University's Academic Calendar. 

Inquiries regarding event participation and sponsorship should be directed to Ryan Arnold, director of community engagement, ryan.arnold@drake.edu. 

Donations

To request Drake athletic donations for an event or fundraiser please complete a Charitable Donation Request form. 

• Submission of form does not guarantee the request will be fulfilled, The Drake Athletics Department will fulfill requests for charitable donation when possible
• Please allow at least two weeks to process your request

Reservable Space and Rooms
All requests for event space and room reservations are made through our Office of Conferences and Event Services. To see our reservable spaces visit https://www.drake.edu/events/eventspaces. Please email roomreservations@drake.edu with your contact information, description of event, preferred date, type of space you are desiring, time frame, expected number in attendance, etc. Use of event space is subject to rental and staffing fees.