Involvement Opportunities

Involvement takes many forms at CfLI and has countless benefits. Every opportunity has the potential to help you learn new skills and develop as an individual. The Center for Leadership and Involvement works with campus departments to make sure you have many options to choose from within your major and areas of interest. Whether you want to join a student organization, partake in an internship, or play a sport, CfLI will give you the resources for success. Check out some of these excellent on-campus involvement resources!

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Student Organizations

Thinking about enriching your life with a student organization? The Center for Leadership & Involvement (CfLI) can help you define your direction and make campus feel like home. Check out the resources to see if the student organization you’re looking for already exists or if it’s time to start a new one!

Match Your Interests

WIN’s Interest Matching tool can help you find the right student org to fit your needs.

Research & Internships

Want to see what it takes to make it in the real world? Participate in research or an internship! Benefits of joining in on research or internships:

  • Build professional skills and networks
  • Earn academic credit
  • See your course work in its natural habitat
  • Try a career or job before committing to it
  • Practice communication and interpersonal skills
  • Work closely with faculty, graduate students, and businesses

Check out the resources below for internships and departments that offer free, paid, or credit research opportunities!

Research & Internship Resources

Research Centers and Programs: Research takes on many forms and spans across many areas of academia.

Academic Programs: With so many great academic programs to choose from, it’s easy to get involved.

Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation: An independent, non-profit foundation chartered to support research at the UW-Madison and the designated technology transfer organization for the university. WARF is a separate entity from the university but partners closely with it.

ASM Internships: UW’s own student government in a great place to look for a for credit internships that focuses on government, advocacy or public polices issues.

SuccessWorks: For College of Letters & Science students, SuccessWorks helps you explore career and internship opportinities with advisors, workshops, and other resources to help you succeed during and after college.

International Internship Program (IIP): A campus office that both offers cultivated internship opportunities for UW-Madison students and general advising on international internships. They can help with questions about resources, programs, credit, insurance, funding, visas, and more. With IAP study abroad they offer the Worldwide Internship Program to offer credit for students interning abroad

Recreation & Wellbeing

Play hard, get fit, and live well

Here at UW-Madison, about 75% of students utilize Rec Well facilities and programs while 1 in 5 students plays an intramural sport. Whether you want to learn how to throw a Frisbee, compete in Big 10 tournaments or dance the night away, the opportunities exist, and they’re endless.

  • Play intramural sports, sport clubs, ice skating & hockey, and tennis
  • Move with group fitness classes and personal and small group training
  • Learn to skate, swim, and play tennis
  • Thrive with massage therapy, wellbeing workshops, and athletic training
  • De-stress from work and/or academics
  • Keep your competitive edge
  • Join a community of Active Badgers

Check out the resources below to get started!

Recreation & Wellbeing Resources

Rec Well Home: Everything you’ve ever wanted to know about Recreation & Wellbeing.

Intramural Sports: Whether you’re a veteran athlete or a first-time participant, there are plenty of opportunities to get involved with the Intramural program.

Sport Clubs: Sport Clubs bridge the gap between intramural sports and intercollegiate athletics by providing competition at various levels, participation in tournaments and opportunities to practice.

Rec Well Job Opportunities: Get involved in the behind-the-scenes aspects of Rec Well programs, facilities, and services.

Volunteering & Service

What better way is there to feel good about yourself than volunteering? Head to local high schools to facilitate workshops on spoken word or volunteer with kids in Africa. The possibilities are only limited by your imagination.

  • Build self confidence
  • Volunteer in diverse communities
  • Learn with people different from you
  • Take weekend, weeklong, or year-long trips
  • Gain experience to add to your resume

Check out the resources below to begin your journey into making a positive and effective difference. Define your direction by helping someone else define theirs.

Volunteering & Service Resources

International Volunteer Opportunities: Volunteering overseas can be one of your most fulfilling and challenging experiences.

UW Volunteer Events Calendar: Check out daily volunteer opportunities on-campus and in the surrounding community.

Morgridge Center for Public Service: A center which promotes civic engagement, strengthening teaching and learning, and building collaborative partnerships through public service, service-learning, and community-based research.

VolunteerYourTime.org: A databank which houses volunteer opportunities in Dane County listed by date and area of interest.

Office of Childcare and Family Resources: Campus child care centers utilize volunteers to support and enhance high quality programming for the children and families in care.

Law Student Volunteer Opportunities: If the law is your passion, these volunteer opportunities give you experience working with community agencies.

McBurney Disability Resource Center: Volunteer opportunities involving working with UW-Madison students with disabilities.

University League: Volunteer opportunities on or close to campus endorsed by a local non-profit organization.

Study Abroad

Make sure you’re ready for life outside college by gaining some cultural competence. UW-Madison offers over 110 study abroad programs geared towards your interests. Instruction is in a wide array of languages including English and time spent abroad is determined by you. Which country are you heading to?

  • Build independence and confidence
  • Learn a new language
  • Make friends across the world
  • Compliment your academics with international experience
  • Gain a unique perspective on the world
  • Challenge yourself with new ideas, foods, and ways of life

Look below for opportunities to learn more!

Study Abroad Resources

International Academic Programs: Interested in studying in another country? UW-Madison offers more than 180 study-abroad programs in 51 countries around the world in every discipline on campus.

LEADAbroad Program: Spend your summer experiencing leadership and service abroad with Global LEAD in Ecuador, Greece or Cape Town. LEADAbroad combines adrenaline adventures, upper-level class credit and hands-on service work for an incredible summer experience. Contact: Carolyn Prebil

On Campus Jobs

Hang out on campus and get paid for it – can’t get much better than that! Whether you’re grooming monkeys, booking bands, fixing computers, or checking out books, working on campus is a great idea!

  • Network with faculty and staff
  • Flexible hours
  • Interact with people your peers
  • Locations convenient to classes
  • Use the experience to compliment your academic work

Check out the resources below to find the perfect on-campus job for you and start reaping the benefits of working close to home.

On-Campus Job Resources

UW Student Job Center: Listing of both on and off campus jobs.

Office of Student Financial Aid Work Study Program: On-campus jobs limited to students who qualify for Federal Work-Study as part of their financial aid package.

Non-Profit Employment Resources: The La Follette School of Public Affairs has resources for finding a job in the non-profit sector.

UW-Housing Campus Jobs – Parent Reference: A resource to answer all of the rents questions about your employment while in college.

School of Business Career Center: If you’re looking to succeed in business, the Career Center is your first step.

Environmental Career Information: Information regarding environmental careers, internships and professional development for both undergraduate and graduate students.

RecWell Job Opportunities: Get involved in the behind-the-scenes aspects of the RecWell Program.

Exploring Involvement Opportunities

The Exploring Involvement Opportunities program showcases a virtual panel of student experts to learn more about involvement in Student Organizations, Research, Recreation & Well-Being, Service, Study Abroad and On-Campus Jobs.