The experiences listed below are pre-approved for the Distinction in Community Engagement and can be completed at any time after you have signed up for the River Hawk Experience Distinction (RHED) program.

  • Jumpstart: Complete 1 year as an AmeriCorps member with Jumpstart.
  • Immersive Scholars Community Placements: Complete your hours of work with a partnership placement at a nonprofit or government agency in the Lowell area, through your Immersive Scholars Award (only applicable to awarded students – cannot be applied for).
  • Work Study Community Placements: Work with a nonprofit or government agency in Lowell area.
  • Alternative Spring Break: Complete a UMass Lowell (UML) Student Activities organized Alternative Spring Break.
  • eNable Lowell: Create a prosthetic for a child from start to finish.
  • Haiti Development Studies Center: Travel to Haiti Development Studies Center for 1 week or more on a project.
  • PALS volunteer: Volunteer as a PALS tutor through Lowell High School for 1 year.
  • SAYDANAR volunteer: Volunteer as a Saydanar tutor for 1 year.
  • All Hands & Hearts Smart Response: Travel for one week or more working in a disaster relief capacity (if you earned credit for it should be logged as a course, please only list as an experience if you did not earn UMass Lowell credits).
  • Engineering Organizations: Engineers for Change (EFC), Engineers for a Sustainable World (ESW), American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Society of Women Engineers (SWE), National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), Society Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE).
  • The Merrimack Valley Housing Partnership (MVHP): Assist in training seminars in the emerging field of homeownership education.
  • Adult Literacy Tutor: Volunteer as a literacy tutor at the Pollard Memorial Library in Lowell.
  • Community Placements: Work with a nonprofit or government agency in the Lowell area.
  • River Hawk Scholars Academy Social Impact Fellowship: RHSA students only. RHSA student performs 150 hours of work at a Lowell-based community organization during a semester, work and final project overseen by RHSA Team member.
  • Public Health Ambassador: Student Ambassadors in the Public Health program committed to improving health and wellness at UMass Lowell and in the Lowell community via local trainings and workshops.
  • Mill City Grows: Work with Mill City Grows, an urban food justice organization in Lowell, MA that creates gardens, markets, and educational opportunities for all Lowell residents.
  • RHSA Peer and Team Leader: RHSA students only. Serve as a River Hawk Scholars Academy (RHSA) Peer and Team Leader for one full academic year.
  • River Hawk Scholars Academy (RHSA) Student-Led Focus Groups Peer Facilitator: Lead focus groups on campus.
  • Class Project: An individual or group project specifically related to the Distinction completed during a UMass Lowell class (that is NOT being used as a course requirement for the Distinction).
  • Faculty-led Thesis Research: Complete your project/paper/experience as part of a team, with a partner or as a solo endeavor with the support of your mentor or faculty member.

If you are looking for additional community engagement experience ideas, visit the UMass Lowell Community Organizations page.

Option: Students may propose a custom-designed experience:

  • Submitted by student to reflect their individual experiences
  • Must meet at least half of the Distinction's learning outcomes
  • Individual request approval is managed by the RHED committee members