GivePulse

Wrapping up a wonderful few days in beautiful Brisbane, Australia! 🇦🇺 What better way to close the Queensland Volunteering Conference (#QVC2026) than with Jane Hedger’s inspiring final words, bringing together so many of the ideas, insights, and conversations shared throughout the conference, and reminding us what this work is really about: Me to we. A stranger to a friend. Be the reason someone matters. Be the bridge that connects people across differences. And then, bringing everyone together: 🙌 “Hands out, hearts out, let’s build a bridge!” A simple message, but one that captures so much of what volunteering and community engagement are about. Helping people feel that they matter, filling one another’s cups, recognizing the impact we make, and sharing those stories. It was also great to meet new friends, reconnect with familiar faces, and learn more about the incredible volunteer management community across Queensland. A few highlights from Day 2: - Sarah Wilson (@UW) explored why mattering is at the heart of sustainable volunteering: people want to feel noticed, valued, and needed - Andy Parkinson, Tanya Stevenson and Carolina Puleston shared perspectives on engaging volunteers across generations and creating opportunities for mentoring, learning, and leadership - Damien Ryan, Tara Castle and Tracey O’Neill explored how we can make the case for volunteering through evidence, data, storytelling, and stronger advocacy - Anthea Cuddihy, Marion Phillis and Darren Playle challenged us to rethink the volunteer role menu, from micro and episodic opportunities to virtual, skills-based, and corporate volunteering - Great hearing the perspectives of The Hon. Dr Jeannette Young AC PSM and her belief in focusing on improving the infrastructure of volunteerism We also appreciated Jane introducing Sandra Koch from the International Volunteer Year Secretariat (@unvolunteers) and the important work surrounding the 2026 International Volunteer Year. Every contribution matters! Thank you to Volunteering Queensland, all the speakers, organizers, volunteers, and new friends who made these few days so memorable. A special shoutout to Jen Azordegan (@ACUmedia). It was such a pleasure to catch up after #QVC2026 and hand-deliver the Uniservitate Awards Book from the Global Symposium in Rome, featuring Jen’s contribution: “Laying the Foundations: Service-Learning, Catholic Mission and Institutional Change in Australia.” Brisbane, it’s been a pleasure! Taking plenty of ideas, new connections, and inspiration with me as we head back to the States, next stop #CUMU2026 in Houston, Texas! 🇺🇲 And wherever we are, let’s keep building bridges. Hands out. Hearts out. Let’s build a bridge 🙌 #Volunteering #VolunteerManagement #IVY2026 #VolunteerYear2026 #EveryContributionMatters #VolunteerWithUN #CommunityEngagement #ServiceLearning #Uniservitate #GlobalSymposiumUniservitate

Great to be here at the State Library of Queensland for the Queensland Volunteering Conference 2026! 🇦🇺 Day 1 was a fantastic start, with dynamic speakers and thoughtful conversations about the future of volunteering, community engagement, and social impact. A few highlights: - Dr Elissa Farrow challenged us to think about the future of volunteering and what needs watering and pruning in our organizations. What should we nurture, and what might we need to let go of to create more sustainable, adaptable volunteer experiences? - Dr Liz Crowe shared important perspectives on leadership, wellbeing, and remembering that sustainable organizations start with looking after the people who make them work. - Jaylyn Rongo, Rheanca Lincoln and Toby Kennett brought valuable youth perspectives on belonging, motivation, and what makes volunteering meaningful. - Zoe Bickerstaffe, Wendy Cliff and Joseph Kolapudi explored the volunteer journey, from attracting in-person and virtual volunteers and families to onboarding, removing barriers, and creating meaningful pathways for participation. - Charlotte Young and Cherie Mylordis got us thinking about strengthening the volunteering sector and how @Brisbane_2032 can create a legacy that lasts well beyond the Games. A lovely surprise cameo from Rt Hon Dame Jacinda Ardern (@jacindaardern), former Prime Minister of New Zealand and now Professor of Practice at the University of Sydney (@sydney_uni). It was great to hear from her, recognizing our work in the community! Her focus on empathetic leadership, social cohesion, and civic trust resonates deeply with why we do what we do. Another exciting milestone: the official release of @EngagementAust's Transform Journal, Volume 10, Issue 1! Great to celebrate with Matthew Pink at Australian Catholic University (@ACUmedia). This edition explores Universities and Engagement in our Hybrid World, bringing important research and practice into the conversation. Congratulations to Matthew, the editorial team, and all the contributors. Proud that GivePulse continues to support this work! And a special connection across continents! Colleen Tracy kindly entrusted us with books from Rome #GlobalSymposiumUniservitate to bring back to Australia and share with the ACU team. The package is now officially hand-delivered to recognize all the great service-learning projects across Asia and Oceania, celebrating the continued growth of @uniservitate across the region. Grateful for the partnerships and people helping build this ecosystem, including @DLSUManila, @cosca_official, @clayssdigital, @porticusglobal and everyone advancing service-learning across Asia and Oceania. Across all these conversations, a few themes keep coming up: nurturing what works, investing in people, strengthening partnerships, sharing knowledge, and using technology to make it easier for communities to connect and contribute. Whether through volunteering, service-learning, or university-community engagement, it’s ultimately about creating opportunities for people to learn, contribute, and create meaningful change together. Thank you to Volunteering Queensland, @EngagementAust and all the speakers, partners, and colleagues making these connections possible. Always good to learn, share ideas, and build a few new bridges along the way! Looking forward to Day 2! 🙌 #QVC2026 #Volunteering #VolunteerManagement #ServiceLearning #CommunityEngagement #SocialImpact #TransformJournal #EngagementAustralia #PublicEngagement #ResearchForGood #Brisbane2032 #OlympicLegacy

Volunteers make the mission possible, but Volunteer Managers make the magic happen 💙 Behind every well-organized shift, impactful community event, and dedicated volunteer is a leader balancing recruitment, scheduling, orientation, and meaningful recognition. This #InternationalVolunteerManagersDay, we’re celebrating the strategists and community builders who turn goodwill into lasting impact. At @GivePulse, we’re honored to walk alongside volunteer managers every day, equipping you with the intuitive tools you need to streamline scheduling, automate reminders, and measure your real-world outcomes without the burnout. Want to support and streamline your volunteer leadership? From designing flexible micro-roles to establishing a steady communication rhythm, setting up strong systems keeps both coordinators and volunteers thriving. Check out these actionable best practices to level up your volunteer engagement strategy: gvpulse.com/48wZbHE Tag a volunteer coordinator who keeps your organization running strong! 👇 #IVMD #VolunteerManagement #NonprofitLeadership #CommunityImpact #VolunteerEngagement #IVMD2026 #ThursdayVibes

From Sri Lanka to Sydney to Brisbane, this week reminded us that community engagement is about the people we meet along the way. In Sri Lanka, Anu shared how he’s lifted up his community with his own network and resources after Cyclone Ditwah. It’s amazing to see social entrepreneurs like him making a difference around the world. In Sydney, we reconnected with Mitra, Margaret, and Suzanne, leaders in community and public engagement, and talked about our time together at @IARSLCE. @UTSEngage Today we’re at the Queensland Volunteering Conference with Volunteering Queensland on International Volunteer Managers Day. CEO Jane Hedger opened with a call to keep volunteering sustained and valued. Their research estimates it would cost $31.3 billion to replace the labour volunteers contribute to Queensland. Grateful to the Hon. Ann Leahy, Queensland’s Minister for Fire, Disaster Recovery and Volunteers, for championing volunteerism. We’re proud to support this year’s conference alongside Queensland Community Foundation, @RACQOfficial, @ACUmedia, and the @QldGov. Thank you to @slqld for hosting! Looking forward to tonight's networking reception celebrating volunteer managers, and to hearing how @Brisbane_2032 can leave a lasting legacy for volunteering across Queensland! #QVC2026 #IVMDay26 #IYV2026 #Volunteering #VolunteerManagement #VolunteerLeadership #CommunityEngagement #CivicEngagement #PublicEngagement #ServiceLearning #EngagedResearch #CommunityImpact #Brisbane #Queensland #GivePulse

Experiential learning works, but how do you scale it across an entire institution? Join @GivePulse and the Society for Experiential Education on Nov 4th @ 2 PM ET / 1 PM CT for an inside look at how @UniversityofGA and @UofNorthFlorida are connecting the dots between hands-on learning, student tracking, and workforce readiness. In this session, you’ll learn how to: ✅ Centralize and measure student engagement using GivePulse ✅ Bridge the gap between classroom theory and career readiness ✅ Demonstrate real institutional impact to community partners & employers Save your seat today!👇 gvpulse.com/3X4KiK3

⏳Time is ticking! Just 2 days left to submit your proposal for the @GulfSouthSummit 2027, co-hosted by @GivePulse and SLIC-Georgia. Share your research, community initiatives, and best practices with leaders across the region 📚 This year we are looking for innovative proposals covering the following topics: Switch Points- How communities, courses, and curricula are forming and changing direction Blocked Signals- Barriers to community engagement and what it takes to clear them Junction Joy- What makes civic work feel joyful and rewarding Powering the Line- How technology, especially AI, is reshaping community engagement Reading the Rails- Using research and data to check whether engagement work is reaching where it intends 🗓️ Deadline: November 4, 2026 🔗 Apply now: gvpulse.com/4efOIDT #GulfSouthSummit #GSS2027 #CallForProposals #CommunityEngagement #CivicEngagement #HigherEd #SocialImpact #GivePulse #SLICGeorgia

The @uniservitate conference may have wrapped up, but the fellowship, learning, connections, and work continue! What a wonderful time in Italy, from the inspiring conversations and connections at Uniservitate in Castel Gandolfo to exploring the history, culture, and incredible food of @roma. It was special to experience some of Rome's iconic places, including the @pantheon_roma and Spanish Steps, and enjoy all the amazing food along the way. Tiramisu, supplì, pizza, and so many things in between!😊🇮🇹 But as always, the best part is the people. So grateful for the time spent with friends, colleagues, and partners from around the world. Sharing ideas, learning from one another, catching up, building new relationships, and of course, breaking bread together. A special thank you to The Mulvaney Center for Community Awareness and Social Action, @uofsandiego, @suss_sg, @DePaulSteans @depaulu, @uniservitate @clayssdigital, @UniLUMSA, and so many others who made this experience so meaningful. Including @catholichighred, @IFCUFIUC, @GConEducation #GlobalSymposiumUniservitate #UniservitateAward2026 We came away reminded that while conferences bring us together, it's what happens afterward that matters just as much. The conversations continue, partnerships grow, ideas turn into action, and we keep learning and working alongside one another across institutions, communities, and countries. Thank you to everyone who made this Italy experience so memorable. Already looking forward to seeing where these connections take us next! And now, on to Australia! 🇦🇺 Looking forward to connecting with even more friends and colleagues at the Queensland Volunteering Conference and continuing the conversations around volunteering, volunteer management, service-learning and community engagement. The gathering may end. The work and fellowship continue! @brisbanecityqld #ServiceLearning #CommunityEngagement #GlobalEngagement #CivicEngagement #ExperientialLearning #SocialImpact #CLAYSS #SL #AYSS #SDG #ODS #ServiceLearning #CommunityEngagement #Solidaridad #ServicioSocial @turismoromaweb #QVC2026 #VolunteerEngagement #VolunteerManagement #VolunteeringQueensland

The @Uniservitate Global Symposium VII brought together educators, students, and community partners from around the world who share one conviction: learning means the most when it serves something larger than ourselves. The Global Symposium is a shining example of how service learning builds understanding across borders. The strongest projects shared this week didn’t treat communities as placements. When students learn inside a community’s real challenges, they come away with knowledge no classroom can offer, and that understanding travels with them. A heartfelt thank you to CLAYSS for convening this remarkable community. It was a privilege to be part of this conference and GivePulse is proud to support Uniservitate institutions as they share their projects, connect across borders, and recognize the work through the Uniservitate Awards. Thrilled to join colleagues, community organizers, and changemakers from around the world at the #GlobalSymposiumUniservitate organized by @uniservitate and @UniLUMSA, in collaboration with @IFCUFIUC, in support of @GConEducation, and coordinated by @clayssdigital and @porticusglobal. #ServiceLearning #Uniservitate #CLAYSS #CommunityEngagement #HigherEd#CLAYSS #Solidaridad #ServicioSocial @Turismoromaweb #VisitRome

Attending a Bonner gathering is to be among friends. From shared meals and deep-dive workshops to late-night conversations around the final evening bonfire, the spirit of generosity within this network is unmatched. Everyone is so generous with what they have learned and what resources they have created or know about. This group of professionals in the field of community engagement is committed not only to advancing the field but also to insuring that students thrive in college and beyond and to making the world a better place for all. A huge thank you to the Bonner Foundation for inviting GivePulse back to be part of this incredible community! A few highlights from our time together: Bobby Hackett shared a clear, lasting definition: a capacity-building project leaves something behind. From planting pollinator gardens to producing promotional videos for local partners, participants shared inspiring examples and brainstormed real-world solutions to common hurdles. With evolving organizations and limited campus budgets, sessions by Foundation staff and a wide variety of community engagement organizations focused on helping centers discern which national networks, grants, and professional development opportunities best serve their campus goals. Alongside Jody Davis and Robin Hille-Michaels from the University of the South, our team co-led a hands-on workshop taking inventory of campus assessment tools. Jody and Robin showcased how they leverage GivePulse far beyond basic hour-tracking to measure true community and student impact, followed by small-group sessions troubleshooting and designing custom tools to bring back home. We loved learning alongside colleagues from across the country, including: - @berrycollege - @clarkuniversity - @depauwu - @georgemasonu - @MaryvilleC - @morehouse - @SpelmanCollege - @saltlakecc - @univofthesouth - @lynchburg …and so many more! Grateful for the leadership of the @BonnerNetwork and every educator working tirelessly to help students thrive and communities flourish. See you next time! #BonnerNetwork #CommunityEngagement #HigherEd #ServiceLearning #GivePulse #StudentSuccess #CivicEngagement

Uniservitate Day in Rome gave us two experiences: attending Pope Leo XIV’s General Audience and celebrating a special Mass for Uniservitate members at St. Peter’s Basilica. During his address, Pope Leo (@Pontifex) reminded us that “the Church promotes culture because it is a good in itself, a service to the human being and to the fulfillment of her vocation on earth.” That line stayed with us because it describes what service-learning does at its best. When students learn alongside communities, knowledge stops being something they collect for themselves and becomes something they put to work for others. Learning and service aren’t two separate goals. Each one gives the other its purpose. At the Mass, the homily offered another reminder: “We are good teachers if we are good disciples. We must guide students to the vocation they are meant to be, not what we want them to become.” For those of us in service-learning, this is the heart of the work. We create the conditions, the partnerships, and the reflection that help students discover it for themselves. And we stay learners too. Some of the best parts of the day were the simplest: lunch with colleagues from Brussels and France (thank you, Kathia from @KU_Leuven, for a wonderful meal!), a visit to @Musei_Vaticani (@VaticanNews), and fellowship over traditional Italian pizza after the Mass and our big evening group photo. So grateful for all of the incredible people from around the world, including Daisy from @porticusglobal, Bojana from the University of Rijeka, Kate from @VillanovaU, D’Ann from @st_kates, and so many more. Grateful to @Clayssdigital, the @uniservitate team, and the Uniservitate European hub for an amazing experience and for bringing together so many people who believe education should serve the common good. #Uniservitate #ServiceLearning #HigherEducation #CommunityEngagement #GivePulse #PublicGood

🚀 Big Ideas, Bold Innovation & Experiential Learning Energy at #SEE2026! Day 2 of the @societyforee conference brought fresh perspectives, inspiring conversations, and plenty of ideas to take home! Beyond the Map- Dr. Paige Anderson Preparing students for an unpredictable future through adaptability, mentorship, reflection, and meaningful experiences. Putting the Pieces Together- @Brockport Connecting the dots! Better data and cross-campus collaboration can make experiential learning opportunities more visible and accessible. Cultivating the Innovation Mindset- @GeorgiaTech Community-driven projects build confident changemakers! Loved hearing how a Healthy Savannah internship grew into a career and an opportunity to mentor others. A Way Forward- Ben Trager, @UWM Are we preparing students for jobs or to make a difference? Why not BOTH? Career readiness and civic engagement go hand in hand! The Missing Middle- @uofcincy Filling the gap between first-year experiences and graduation through reflection, peer learning, and community engagement. Professional growth doesn't follow a straight line! 🏆 Celebrating the Changemakers! Cheers to the SEE Award recipients and Experiential Education Academy graduates advancing this work! The big takeaway? Experiential learning isn't just about what students DO. It's about who they BECOME and the impact they make. We're leaving Day 2 energized and excited to keep building a future where experiential learning is more connected, accessible, and impactful for ALL students! Fun Fact ⭐ Savannah has the third largest port in the US behind New York and Long Beach. We got to watch huge cargo ships slowly go by all day! #SEE2026 #ExperientialLearning #CommunityEngagement #HigherEd #StudentSuccess #GivePulse

The Bonner fall network meeting provides an annual opportunity for staff from Bonner schools, who have served in their roles from a few weeks to over twenty years, to share and learn from one another. 🍂🍁 The meeting got off to a dynamic start on Monday evening with a session called Democracy Starts with Us led by Bonner Foundation President, Bobby Hackett. We considered the idea that democracy begins with higher education. Many participants offered modifications such as: Democracy Starts in the Community and Democracy is Honed in Higher Education. We then listed knowledge and skills needed to practice democracy effectively including understanding context, learning what democracy is beyond voting, dialogue across difference, media literacy, strategies for making change and conflict resolution. Lastly, small groups discussed how we are doing at teaching democracy on our campuses and in our Bonner programs. Some of the challenges noted included lack of training of staff and faculty to teach students and the current state of many college campuses not being particularly democratic in how they run themselves. Judging off of these amazing sessions, we are excited to hold more lively discussions and informative sessions in these next few days! #BonnerLove #BonnerNetwork #GivePulse #FacultyEngagement #PublicScholarship #Research #CommunityImpact #Volunteerism

Day 2 at the @uniservitate Global Symposium VII highlighted multiple student project award winners, sharing what servic- learning has meant to them. They spoke about how participating in service-learning projects shaped who they are becoming, both personally and professionally, and what it means to show up in their communities as agents of hope. Hearing it in their own words was the highlight of the day! We also learned about a research project exploring how service-learning shapes students’ spiritual development, with participants from across the Uniservitate hubs. We are looking forward to seeing what it finds, because it gets at something many of us sense but rarely measure. The plenaries took on two big conversations: interreligious dialogue, and how AI is affecting the work of social justice missions. And of course, we celebrated the Uniservitate Award winners! Congratulations to every one of these remarkable projects. Your work in solidarity is a reminder that each of you is part of a constellation of hope in the world. #Uniservitate #ServiceLearning #CommunityEngagement #HigherEd #SolidarityInAction #AprendizajeServicio #AySS #EducaciónSolidaria @Clayssdigital

🎉 Day One @societyforee #SEE2026 in Savannah is a wrap! We kicked off the morning exploring Savannah's historic district before joining nearly 380 experiential education professionals to celebrate 55 years of impact, innovation, and community at the Society for Experiential Education Annual Conference! The opening plenary, Experience Matters, set the tone with conversations about expanding access, scaling experiential learning, and helping students translate meaningful experiences into future opportunities. The breakout session "From Promise to Proof" challenged us to rethink higher education's value proposition. Students aren't just looking for degrees. They're seeking career readiness, personal growth, belonging, and connections. The real value isn't simply what institutions offer, but what students can access, experience, and carry forward. We were also excited to co-present with Justin Sipes from @UofNorthFlorida on "Making Experiential Learning Visible: Designing Campus-Wide Systems That Center Learning, Equity, and Scale." Using Engage UNF as an example, we explored how connected systems can make experiential learning more visible, accessible, and measurable across campus. We ended the day with great conversations, new connections, and plenty of fellowship @ChurchillsSav restaurant. Because some of the best conference moments happen outside the sessions! At GivePulse, we're proud to sponsor #SEE2026 and collaborate with a community passionate about turning experiential learning opportunities into meaningful student outcomes. Here's to another great day of learning and connecting! 🙌 #ExperientialEducation #CommunityEngagement #ServiceLearning #HigherEd #GivePulse #SEE2026

Day 1 of the @Uniservitate Global Symposium VII grounded us in this year’s theme, “Designing maps of hope through solidarity service-learning.” Richard Brosse of Porticus reminded us that as educators, we have a responsibility to be servants of hope. In a world that keeps shifting under our feet, hope isn’t a slogan or a refusal to see the darkness. Service-learning asks us to step out of theory and work alongside real people on real challenges, and that’s where the fog of superiority starts to clear. A common thread through the day is that excellence in education isn’t complete until it contributes to the common good. The morning brought research updates from the academic board on how network members are institutionalizing service-learning, how service-learning shapes students’ spiritual formation, and what a sustainable future for the Uniservitate network could look like. In the afternoon, we heard from several 2026 Uniservitate Award winners: 📍@BU_News, whose English Writing students build storytelling and research skills by sharing the stories of abandoned children at a youth home in Palestine 📍@uofsandiego’s Youth Transition Campus, a restorative justice program that builds leadership, accountability, and wellness among incarcerated individuals 📍@DePaulU’s Urban Schools Initiative, where teams of undergraduate and graduate students use asset-based community building to co-create solutions with schools, with a focus on student achievement 📍@catolicaporto’s CApS project, a network of 11 European universities building a community of practice around institutionalizing service-learning, community-engaged research, and pedagogical innovation for social responsibility We closed with a world café, trading ideas on growing service-learning networks, student learning outcomes, sustainable institutional models, and the spiritual transformation students experience through this work. We celebrated a powerful first day with great food and even better fellowship. #Uniservitate #ServiceLearning #CommunityEngagement #HigherEd #SolidarityServiceLearning