Often, college students are required to log volunteer hours or actively participate in an internship to help toward a specific major, but internships and volunteer work can be tricky to nail down, especially if a student doesn’t know where to start. Grand Valley State University hosts a bi-annual nonprofit volunteer and internship fair inviting community organizations to attend and show what they have to offer as a way for students to broaden their horizons and see what opportunities are out there.

The Community Service Learning Center (CLSC) hosts the nonprofit volunteer and internship fair twice annually – one in the fall and another in the winter – on GVSU’s Allendale Campus. The nonprofit fair for the winter semester was held Feb. 3 and 4 in the Henry Hall Atrium.

The event attracts numerous organizations, as local as Habitat for Humanity and as wide-ranging as the Peace Corps.

“This is an opportunity for nonprofit and other organizations to come talk to students, share about their work, and get students involved with internships and volunteer work,” said Melissa Baker-Boosamra, associate director for student life, civic engagement and assessment. She works with graduate students to coordinate the event.

Most of the nonprofits at the event are local to West Michigan and span a broad range of interest. The Literacy Center of West Michigan, the Gerald R. Ford Museum and Goodwill of Greater Grand Rapids are just a few vendors that took part in the fair this year.

One of the graduate students involved in the fair is Brendan Gallagher, a graduate assistant for civic engagement and leadership.

“I’m like a middle-man between students and nonprofits,” he said. Gallagher is the main coordinator of the fair, reaching out to the organizations, setting up the logistics behind it, and marketing the event to students.

Because of the mass amounts of attention the fair has gained, popularity has triggered the organizers to split the fair into a two-day event. Both days have different groups that attend to offer more variety to students.

“Over 70 organizations are involved, from education and environmental organizations to religious ones,” Gallagher said. “We have quite a variety.”

This year, the CLSC offered a workshop prior to the event to give community partners an opportunity to learn how to showcase the uniqueness of their organization and raise the appeal to students. The hope is to attract more students for internships, volunteer work, and possible job openings.

“A main goal for this event is not just for students, but also for community partners to connect,” Baker-Boosamra said. “It is a meaningful opportunity for student learning, community impact, and a way for students to see how they can meet community needs.”

She also said that it helps students who do not have a set major or career plan see what is available to them. Volunteering at multiple events could lead someone to their future career.

The fair will continue in the Henry Hall atrium on Feb. 4 from 1 p.m. until 3 p.m. The CLSC invites all students to stop in, browse different tables, and see what nonprofit organizations are available to them.