Volunteer/Career Opportunities in Iowa

What volunteer and career opportunities are in Iowa?

In your journey to Grinnell, you have likely heard that the College offers countless opportunities for students to gain experience in research, engage in internships, and conduct professional opportunities while studying abroad.

But did you know that there are numerous opportunities right here in Iowa that can help kickstart your post-Grinnell career?

light bulb icon Learn and Engage

Gifts of Service and Impact

As Grinnellians, we care about making meaningful and positive impact in our community. We work with our local communities and organizations to make the world a better place, one small step at a time.

Whether or not the College Garden ends up being your thing, consider marrying your love of helping others with your career development by volunteering to assist and coordinate events at Grinnell's Mayflower Community, a local senior center. Not only will your assistance put a wonderful smile on the residents' faces, but it will also develop your event coordination, planning, and organization skills that can serve well beyond Grinnell.

If you want to engage with nature, come to the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden! As you connect with guests and help coordinate events or winter and spring break family programs, you will be sure to grow your network as you meet people from various professions and backgrounds.

Plan Your Future in Iowa Soil — or Beyond

If you want to take a dive into a specific industry and see what you think about it, we have something for that, too! Externships allow Grinnell students to shadow a Grinnell alum or parent at their job, whether virtually, here in Iowa, or in the world beyond.

Through an externship, you will build professional ambitions in an environment that helps you realize your interests, your long-term professional goals, and your strengths as you serve the greater good.​

 

Opportunity Highlights

Delivering produce from the college garden to MICA

Service Leadership Work-Study (SLWS)

Service leadership work-study (SLWS) provides students with paid opportunities to serve local non-profits working on a range of community issues, from local arts, to food access, to migration issues. Service leadership work-study positions offer 3 to 10 hours of paid service a week while class is in session.

volunteer holding cat at PALS

Volunteer Opportunities

Did you know that the Center for Careers, Life, and Service (CLS) partners with more than 150 local organizations for your professional development? See more opportunities beyond the SLWS below.

Dean of Center for Careers, Life, and Service (CLS) provide advice via video.

Words of Advice from Dean of Center for Careers, Life, and Service (CLS)

Career planning is more of a marathon than a sprint. Make sure you're hearing from the right people who can connect you with the right experiences.

We use cookies to enable essential services and functionality on our site, enhance your user experience, provide better service through personalized content, collect data on how visitors interact with our site, and enable advertising services.

To accept the use of cookies and continue on to the site, click "I Agree." For more information about our use of cookies and how to opt out, please refer to our website privacy policy.