Dedicated website aims to boost student volunteers

By Aideen O’Flaherty

IT Tallaght has joined forces with third-level colleges around the country as part of a new volunteering initiative which aims, through a dedicated website for volunteering opportunities, to increase the number of student volunteers. 

This is the first time third-level colleges throughout the country have joined together to share both international and national volunteering opportunities for students.

The new website, studentvolunteers.ie, will match volunteering opportunities with students’ interests, and will have opportunities available in areas such as homelessness, social exclusion and sports.

IT Tallaght students have a strong history of volunteering, with the college offering a certificate of volunteering to full-time students who have volunteered alongside their studies.

Suzanne Brennan, an IT Tallaght student who has been a volunteer for a number of years, described the new system as: “So easy to use as there are different categories, allowing you to choose a volunteering opportunity that is right for you.

“There really is a volunteering opportunity to suit every student.

“Volunteering allows you to share your interests with like-minded people.

“It’s a win-win situation for everyone involved.”

The new website will also allow colleges to track the number of hours that students spend volunteering, making it easier for colleges to formally recognise their students’ volunteer work with awards and certificates at the end of the academic year.

A number of charities, including Barnardos, Habitat for Humanity, TeenLine and Special Olympics Ireland, rely on student volunteers to assist them on both local and national levels.