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Undergraduate Student Trustee Application Open

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The Ohio State University Board of Trustees has begun its search for a new undergraduate student representative. Each year, the governor of Ohio appoints one new student trustee to serve a two-year term as a full voting member of the board.

This student will serve on the board from May 2025 – May 2027, must maintain Ohio residency and student status throughout the entire term, and must be able to balance this significant responsibility with their academic and personal commitments. Candidates for this role must excel as leaders, be able to think strategically about the future of the university and interact in a professional manner with faculty, administrators and influential business and community leaders. More details and application information are available on the student trustee application webpage.

Ohio State’s current undergraduate student trustee, Joshua H.B. Kerner, will host information sessions on January 14 and January 15 for anyone who wants to hear more about the student trustee role and application process. Details about the information sessions can be found on the student trustee application webpage.

Applications are due by noon on Friday, February 7, 2025.

Volunteer: STEM Outreach at Local Elementary Schools

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Scientific Thinkers is seeking volunteers for the Spring 2025 semester!

Scientific Thinkers STEM Outreach is a student organization that is designed to promote STEM activities in Columbus schools. The volunteers lead school visits at Parkmoor and Mansion Day Elementary Schools that focus on hands-on science experiments to bridge the gap created by underrepresentation and underfunding of STEM programs.

Scientific Thinkers gives volunteers the chance to gain leadership skills, communicate science topics to a variety of age groups, and excite young children about STEM. No experience with teaching is required and all majors are welcome!

School visits will be on Wednesday and Thursday afternoon/early evening from January 29-March 6.

If you are interested in volunteering, program orientation will take place on Wednesday, January 22 at 7:00pm in the Physics Research Building, room 1080. This orientation is mandatory if you wish to volunteer with Scientific Thinkers as they will provide necessary paperwork and information, so make sure to mark your calendars! If you are unable to attend the orientation, please reach out to club president Mia Wang to ensure you receive the volunteering information and paperwork.

Dean’s Student Advisory Board: Seeking UG Applicants

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Apply for a two-year position on the College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Student Advisory Board. The Board consists of fifteen students who advise the Dean on matters pertaining to students such as academics and student life.

To be eligible, applicants must be pursuing an undergraduate degree in the College of Arts and Sciences and enrolled on the Columbus campus. Because these positions are for two years commencing Autumn 2024, applicants should not plan to graduate before Spring 2026. Meetings are held approximately once a month during the academic year from 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. on a weekday. To apply: combine a one-page resume and the completed application into one pdf document and send as an email attachment to ascstudents@osu.edu. The subject line for the email must be “Dean’s Student Advisory Board Application – Undergraduate.”  The application may be accessed here.

The deadline to apply is February 11, 2024. For questions, please contact Ann Rottersman, Director of Student Programs and Board liaison at Rottersman.1@osu.edu.

Volunteer: STEM Outreach at Local Elementary Schools

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Scientific Thinkers is a student organization and volunteer program at OSU. Through the organization, volunteers have the opportunity to travel to local elementary schools and engage students with fun, interactive science lessons. The schools the organization serves are comprised largely of underrepresented minority students in STEM. Scientific Thinkers gives volunteers the chance to gain leadership skills, communicate science topics to a variety of age groups, and excite young children about STEM!

Scientific Thinkers will visit two schools this semester: Parkmoor and Mansion Day. Visits to Mansion Day will take place on Wednesdays from 3:30pm–5:30pm from January 31–March 6. Visits to Parkmoor will take place once a month on Wednesday from 10:15–12:15. Dates are still being confirmed with Parkmoor. All times include travel times to and from campus.

If you are interested in volunteering, program orientation will take place on Wednesday, January 24th at 7:00pm in the Physics Research Building room 1080. If you cannot attend the orientation but are still interested in the club, you can contact club president Elly Yoder at yoder.459@osu.edu or reach out to scientificthinkers@gmail.com.

Conversations to Remember: Virtual Volunteering Opportunity

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Conversations to Remember

Conversations to Remember is a nonprofit dedicated to combating loneliness and isolation felt by senior citizens.

This opportunity is part of their virtual visit program. This program matches 2-3 college students with residents of long-term care, assisted living, and memory care communities for virtual video visits. These residents have been suffering from isolation, and volunteers could really brighten their days just by speaking with them.

The program provides training about the best ways to interact with the seniors, as well as additional support throughout their service. Students are matched based on the times they’re available, with a senior at the same time, and they have a regular, weekly appointment for their visit.

Typically…

  • students volunteer 1-2 hours per week
  • a call lasts up to 1 hour (depending on the senior’s attention span and mood on each day)

Expectations…

  • students volunteer for approximately 16 weeks

You can read more about the program on the Conversations to Remember flyer and website. Fill out the Volunteer Interest Form to discuss opportunities.