The Community Engagement and Outreach (CEO) is a program within the Office of Experiential Learning (OEL) that is in the formation stages as OEL sets out to establish a robust offering of experiential learning and service-learning options for NMSU Aggies. The goal is to connect students with organizations for volunteerism and to bring a variety of service-learning options in collaboration with academic departments. The program also welcomes any NMSU staff or faculty member to engage and support students in this initiative.
Volunteerism
New for 2022, Aggies Giving Back is the motto that OEL hopes spreads goodwill and positivity and lets everyone know that NMSU students and staff care about paying it forward to our local communities. Aggies were able to get a head start on giving back during fall 2021 by volunteering with the New Mexico Senior Olympics and Bridge to Health Program. Aggies showed up for our community in their time of need.
The first stage of the CEO Program is to offer volunteer opportunities. Three (3) official CEO volunteer events are planned for spring 2022.
- Martin Luther King, Jr Day of Service (A Day On, Not A Day Off) – January 17, 2022
- Random Acts of Kindness Day – February 17, 2022
- Cesar Chavez Day – March 31, 2022
MLK Jr. Day will be the inaugural group-volunteering event. OEL and Aggies will collaborate with the City of Las Cruces on a volunteer project with one of the city’s 40+ volunteer sites. Martin Luther King Jr. Day has long been a day off for many; however, in the spirit of giving back and in service of others MLK Jr. Day motto has become a Day On, Not a Day Off.
Random Acts of Kindness Day is officially February 17, 2022, and can be recognized as a day or an entire week (February 17 – 23). Aggies are encouraged to seek out opportunities to be inspirational through acts of kindness. “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” (Aesop). There are numerous ways to observe Random Acts of Kindness Day, but here is a shortlist to get started:
- Pay for the coffee or meal of the person in front of you in line.
- Leave a kind note for someone, no explanation is needed.
- Share words of encouragement. You never know who might need them.
- Put your skills to work for someone in need. For example, offer to create a résumé for someone seeking a new job.
- Drop off a load of groceries at the local food pantry.
- Mail a “thinking of you” card to someone you’ve not to talked to in a while.
- Order a bouquet of flowers to be delivered to anyone in the hospital. That means, call the florist and tell them to pick a hospital or nursing home and deliver flowers to the person the front desk thinks needs it the most. It could be a sick child, an elderly person with no family, or a college student down on their luck.
- Send a thank-you note to the local fire department, police departments, or any military personnel.
- Just smile.
We would love to see your random act by sharing on our social media via Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter using #RandomActsOfKindnessDay.
Last but certainly not least is the opportunity to volunteer in celebration of Cesar Chavez Day of Service, March 31, 2022. It celebrates the birthday of César Estrada Chávez and it serves as a tribute to his commitment to social justice and respect for human dignity. The volunteer event will be posted at a later date.
Community Volunteering Interest Survey
If you are an NMSU student interested in Community Volunteering opportunities, please fill out this survey. (Handshake login required)
https://nmsu.joinhandshake.com/surveys/64733
Upcoming Events
Past Events
Southwest Region Virtual Job & Resource Fair
JCPenney SuitUp – Fall 2021