Student Volunteer Opportunities

Focus students at the Dolphin Research Center

Breakthough Collaborative

The Breakthrough Collaborative is an international non-profit dedicated to ending the educational inequities that perpetuate systemic problems in America and around the world. The Breakthrough Collaborative is a “students-teaching-students” program that offers academic enrichment to motivated students in underserved communities. Being a Breakthrough teacher is more than just teaching. It is making strong connections with students and being an instructor, a role model, and a mentor. It is planning extracurricular enrichment or taking phone calls at night to help a student with the toughest problem on her worksheet. There are few opportunities such as this to forge deep and meaningful bonds with students in such need of positive role models, and Breakthrough offers you that opportunity every day.

Summary: You. Breakthrough Collaborative. Changing the life of a child. Working to end educational inequality. Having the time of your life.

For additional information please contact the Breakthrough Collaborative co-Campus Leaders for Duke, who are currently coordinating recruitment and applicant outreach efforts for those interested in applying:

DukeEngage

The Focus Program encourages FOCUS alum to participate in the DukeEngage program during the sophomore year. Many of our faculty are involved with DukeEngage projects. These projects are often a great next–step in your Duke career!

Know Your Status

Know Your Status (KYS) is a student-run research program which offers free, confidential, rapid HIV tests for Duke University and Durham Technical College students. KYS seeks to:

  • Encourage students of all race, gender, and sexual orientation to be aware of their HIV status;
  • Educate students as the risks of HIV infection and modes of protection;
  • Reduce the stigma often associated with seeking an HIV test by demonstrating the need for such tests as a component of ones’ personal healthcare, not a reflection of ones’ risk-taking behavior;
  • Reduce the stigma often associated with individuals who are HIV-positive by organizing forums and educational programs geared toward awareness and sensitivity;
  • Provide a safe and convenient option for students who wish to know their HIV status but do not wish to make an appointment at Student Health or other testing sites in the Durham area;
  • Obtain and analyze data on the effectiveness of rapid-testing programs on college campuses.

Students interested in joining KYS can help with a variety of activities from advertising, to educating student groups about HIV/AIDS, to HIV tester/counselors. KYS offers training every semester for students to become trained HIV tester/counselors. For more information contact Caitlin Milligan