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Want some help getting involved at the Pace Center?
This guide is your go-to resource for diving into the vibrant world of community engagement at Princeton. Whether you're passionate about service, activism, or advocacy, this toolkit will help you reflect on your motivations, explore opportunities, and connect with like-minded peers and mentors. Get ready to make a meaningful impact on campus and beyond—your journey starts here!
And remember, it’s never too late to start! Whether you’re a first-year student or nearing graduation, there’s always a way to get involved. Most of our programs, projects, and organizations don’t require applications—just your passion and dedication. So, whenever you're ready, we’re here to support your journey into service!
Step 1. Reflect:
Start your journey by looking inward. Think about what drives you to make a difference. Consider these questions:
What inspires you to serve, advocate, or take action? What fuels your passion?
Which social issues stir your soul?
What communities do you want to connect with, learn from, and support?
What unique skills do you bring to the table?
Take advantage of the Field Guide to Service and the Reflection Learning Library to dive deeper into your reflections and spark new ideas.
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Field Guide To Service
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You wouldn’t head out to hike in the wilderness unprepared would you? Well maybe you would, but most of us would study a map, pack a snack and gear up. We’d savor the tranquility as we trekked, take some photos along the way, and share the experience with our friends when we got back in one piece. Like a hike in the woods, service is about more than just the “hike” itself. At the Pace Center we believe that service is a learning experience that involves preparation, engagement and reflection.
This Field Guide to Service is designed to help you learn to do service well and have a positive impact in the community. It provides you with what you can do before, during and after your service experience to ensure it’s as successful and rewarding as possible.
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Reflection Learning Library
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This resource can help you identify the best ways to incorporate reflection as a form of learning in service and civic engagement.
Reflection is the process of deep thinking and consideration of an event or experience. Reflection can be done individually or with others, and creates space to make sense out of an experience.
Reflection is a deliberate and conscientious process that employs a person’s cognitive, emotional, and physical capacities to mindfully contemplate on past, present, or future (intended or planned) actions in order to learn, better understand and potentially improve future actions.
Step 2. Research
Knowledge is power! Before jumping in, explore the many ways you can engage with the community at Princeton and beyond. Here are some top resources to help you discover your perfect match:
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Get Involved Service Match Tool
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Find opportunities that align with your interests by search Pace's extensive list of opportunities.
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Programs that support sustained engagement in our local community:
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- Student Volunteer Council Service Projects
- Community House Service Projects
- Princeton Activism and Advocacy Student Organizations
- Civic Leadership Council
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Community Engagement Through Summer Internship Programs
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Do you want to find an internship that aligns with your values as well as your interests and academics? The Pace Center for Civic Engagement offers a variety of paid summer internship opportunities for undergraduates locally, nationally, and internationally. Learning about our many programs and offerings here!
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Other Opportunities at Princeton
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- Princeton University’s Office of Community and Regional Affairs
- Pro CES - Program for Community Engaged Scholarship
- Sustainability at Princeton
- ODUS Student Organizations
Step 3. Connect
Connection is key! At Pace, there are countless opportunities to meet people who share your passion for service. Here’s how to start building your campus and community network:
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Attend Events
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Join us at:
- Pace’s Service & Community Engagement Tent at The Activities FairII Fall 2024: Friday 9/6 12pm-3pm Frist South Lawn
- Pace’s Themed Fall Open HousesII Fall 2024:Fridays from 4pm - 6pm starting 9/20 through 10/11 in the Frist Pace Lounge or Community House in CAF
- Pace’s Lift As You Climb Leadership & Volunteer ConferenceII Fall 2024:Saturday 9/14 10am in Frist Campus Center
- Other Pace events like Reflection Lunches, Community Tours of Trenton & Princeton, and Reclaim Our Vote Postcarding sessions
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Meet the Team
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Connect with
Pace Center staff
Pace Center Student Executive Boards
Service Project Leaders and Student Organization Leaders
Community Partners
who can share personally and authentically about the work they do on campus and in the community.
Step 4. Prepare
Preparation is everything! At Pace, we believe in partnering authentically and ethically. Our commitment to "Doing No Harm" starts with equipping you with the knowledge and skills to be a great neighbor, ally, and advocate. Prepare yourself by exploring these resources:
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Pace Center Workshops, Trainings, Panels, & Lectures
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Find them on the My PrincetonU Events Page.
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Pace’s Online Learning Tools
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Service and civic engagement are a central part of the Princeton University student experience. Discover how you can deepen your understanding of service and civic engagement, build new skills, and connect with others. Search by experience, program, and resource type to find what's right for you.
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Field Guide to Service
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This Field Guide to Service is designed to help you learn to do service well and have a positive impact in the community. It provides you with what you can do before, during and after your service experience to ensure it’s as successful and rewarding as possible.
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The Reflection Learning Library
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Welcome to the Reflection Learning Library. This resource can help you identify the best ways to incorporate reflection as a form of learning in service and civic engagement.
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Meet Trenton Video Series
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Trenton, New Jersey's capital city, has a rich and complex history. Discover why it matters today as we meet the people and organizations preserving the past and leading the city forward.
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Let’s Talk About... Podcast
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Let’s Talk About … is a John H. Pace, Jr. ’39 Center for Civic Engagement podcast about the intersection of service and civic engagement in our daily lives.
Step 5. Engage
Now, it’s time to dive in! Whether you’re attending an event, joining a service project, or volunteering with community partners, there’s no one “right way” to get involved. Take a leap into these opportunities:
- Attend a few meetings of a service project or student organization to learn more about what they do and engage with the community and partners who work with them.
- Sign up for a Civic Love Reflection Lunch, Local Walking Tour, or other events that offer pathways into topics and service projects outside of sustained volunteering programs.
- Come to workshops about Creating Your Own Internship or New Service Project Proposals to learn more about how you can build experiences based on your passions, skills, and community partner interest.
