When Jordan Barker walked into the Bennion Community Service Center more than two years ago, he expected to get volunteer hours for his graduate school application. He didn’t plan on organizing a student-directed program where volunteers would baby-sit 15 to 20 children once a week.
“I’ve been there by myself before, watching seven or eight kids on my own,” said Barker, a junior in biology. “Fortunately, that doesn’t usually happen.”
Barker is one of many students who volunteer with the Bennion Center and become involved in the community. The center is divided among service learning scholars, the Alternative Spring Break program, Bennion service house, service politics and civic engagement and the student-directed programs.
“We have roughly 40 programs that are led by students,” said Brent Spencer, head of student-directed programs. “Some have just a few student volunteers, while other larger programs like Project Youth get hundreds of students involved.”
Two presidents and seven coordinators oversee the programs.
The center has recently held a number of events celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.
Although the programs have an adviser and are part of the center, students are able to come up with their own ideas and organize various programs themselves. Coordinators preside more than five or six programs to make sure they are continuing to function.
Bryndon Hatch, a senior in biology, is the coordinator for the Health and Ability Programs.
“I put in about six to eight hours a week working with the program directors in my group to secure funding and recruit volunteers,” Hatch said. “In short, (I do this) to make sure their programs are running smoothly.”
Like other students who work at the center, Hatch initially intended to get volunteer hours for graduate school.
“After I got involved, I loved it,” he said. “I became much more involved than I meant to.”
The student directors apply for the position, and the center trains them during the summer, Spencer said.
Some students become involved in programs that relate to their majors or particular interests. Shelly Thompson, a junior in special education, chose her major because of the Special Olympics program she has directed for more than a year.
“I’ve been volunteering with Special Olympics for five years now,” Thompson said. “I just love the energy that is there and the sense of accomplishment.”
She became involved with Special Olympics at Utah State University and continued the work after transferring to the U. Thompson and 10 volunteers in the program hold practice for one to two hours once a week. The athletes are working on bowling and volleyball right now, she said.
Student volunteers can choose a particular program at the Bennion Center to volunteer with, or can be placed into a program.
“My friend recommended that I go up to the Bennion Center so I could get the required volunteer work,” Barker said. “I had no idea that I’d be directing a program, but I’ve loved the past two years. I hope to do it next year, too.”