7 student clubs to join to pay it forward
From drone racing to the Badger Dairy Club, belly dancing to the dinosaur club, there are more than 900 different student organizations to choose from on UW–Madison’s campus.
Many of them are for socializing or just having fun, but there are also more than 400 student organizations with opportunities for serving the community. Here are seven student organizations you can join if you want to make the world a better place.
One of the events Badger Acts of Kindness often holds are free hugs around campus.
Badger Acts of Kindness
The goal of Badger Acts of Kindness is simple: spread kindness throughout UW–Madison’s campus. They plan thoughtful events, such as surprising students with Hershey’s kisses after exams, putting inspirational notes in random places or handing out Valentines to strangers on Valentine’s day.
Members are also committed to performing random acts of kindness every day, whether that be holding the door for someone, smiling at a stranger or doing something nice for a roommate. They hope that their simple acts will help uplift students, faculty, staff and members of the Madison community.
Knit for a Cause members at one of their meetings. Courtesy of Faith Nicole Pilditch
Knit for a Cause
Every week, a group of UW–Madison students meet up to knit for local charities — but you don’t have to know how to knit to join! If you want to “knit for a cause,” someone from the club would be happy to teach you how to knit.
Follow their Facebook to find out when and where they’re meeting, and you could help knit items for local organizations, such as Badger Childhood Cancer Network and Domestic Abuse Intervention Services. Just be ready to knit a couple items per semester!
Cleaning Up Campus
To help keep our lakes and the rest of campus clean and free of pollution, this group of students meets every week to go on “trash walks” throughout campus.
Members of Cleaning Up Campus walk around campus every Sunday picking up litter and disposing of it properly. This work helps to preserve the natural ecosystems on campus.
Students Today, Leaders Forever
Students Today, Leaders Forever, or STLF, is a group of students committed to conducting a variety of community service projects throughout the year.
Over spring break, they plan a community service road trip where they stop in six different cities and perform a different service project in each. The last stop is “Celebration City” where they team up with other colleges and universities to complete a giant service project. Join to help better communities in need all across America.
Students Today, Leaders Forever members rebuild garden for a boys and girls club in Bowling Green Kentucky. The garden provides food for the local community. Courtesy of STLF
Adult Role Models in Science
Be a role model for elementary and middle school students in the Madison community by helping connect them with science. Through Adult Role Models in Science, or ARMS, UW–Madison volunteer at local schools and community centers, bringing science to kids in exciting and engaging ways.
ARMS has started nearly 40 after-school science clubs and has reached more than 5,000 people. Become a volunteer and help kids learn how to evaluate evidence, conduct experiments, problem solve and have fun with science.
Adopt a Grandparent
Many nursing home patients have little or no contact with family and friends, but this student organization aims to give isolated residents friendship and company.
Adopt a Grandparent connects UW–Madison students to nursing home patients in the Madison area who are not often visited by friend and family. Students meet with their “grandparent” and participate in events and activities, hopefully making a meaningful relationship.
Bundle Up members pack bags full of winter clothes and other supplies to give to Madison’s homeless community. Courtesy of Bundle Up
BundleUp
Have extra hats, gloves, socks, blankets, sweatshirts or other warm clothes? Donate them to BundleUp! The student organization collects winter apparel and/or hygiene products and distributes them to Madison’s homeless population. You can drop off lightly used or new items at various drop-box locations around campus. BundleUp then works to distribute them to Madison’s homeless to help them through Wisconsin’s harsh winters.
BundleUp also hosts fundraising events so they can buy even more winter clothes. You can get more involved with BundleUp by following their social media to find out about upcoming events you can attend, or emailing them to join their ranks.