More than 75 percent of Duke students volunteer in the community at least once during their time at the university. In addition to volunteering for opportunities through Duke’s Community Service Center and the Duke-Durham Neighborhood Partnership, a number of students have created and run a wide range of projects with partner schools and neighborhoods. Recent projects include:

• Durham Giving Project
  • A student-run house course that teaches Duke students about fund raising and grant making while raising money and offering grants to programs that address four social justice issues in Durham: affordable housing, at-risk youth, health care and education.
• The Girls’ Club
  • A Duke women’s mentoring group that provides a social outlet and support for adolescent girls (ages 11 to 15) within the partnership neighborhoods.
• Operation Snowball
  • Provides an opportunity for 7th and 8th grade Durham students to focus on adolescent issues. In addition to a weekend retreat, students meet twice a month at Rogers-Herr Middle School.
• F.L.I.C.K. (Fencing & Leadership In Carolina Kids)
  • Offers fencing as a physical education component to two partner schools, one after-school program and the Walltown Children’s Theatre.
  • Members of the Duke and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill communities serve as instructors.
• Project SKY
  • Refurbishes donated computers from the Research Triangle Park and makes them available to partnership schools, centers and programs.
  • Duke students also provide computer training and support.
• Woodsmont
  • An annual spring festival for at-risk Durham school children on East Campus that regularly attracts more than 100 youngsters.
• Step Into the Wild
  • An outdoor learning project that works with the AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) program at Hillside High School.