DukeEngage | Duke Center for Civic Engagement

Individual/Independent Projects

When considering whether to develop a DukeEngage independent project, you should first consider the differences between the group programs and independent projects.

The independent project option allows you to create your own project tailored to specifics goals and interests of a community partner. Creating an independent project will require more student initiation and independent work. You will need to have thorough communication with your community partner in order to develop a project together. If you are thinking about planning a project in a non-English speaking location, you may also need sufficient considerable foreign language skills.

If you are considering a project abroad, remember that being an independent project student may mean you will be the only American volunteer, or even the only international volunteer, at an organization. Working independently could make you feel isolated. If you tend to be the type of person who processes feelings best with others, think about how you would manage on your own.

In comparison, group programs provide a support network made up of Duke faculty or staff and other Duke students. In addition to the opportunity to participate with others from the Duke community, immersion activities are a central part of all DukeEngage group programs. Students are immersed through project work, volunteer placements, reflection activities, and living arrangements.

If you decide an independent project is the best fit for you, the following steps will help you through the development process.

Step 1: Consider the focus and location for your project.

Focus

There are many different types of civic engagement activities that can be developed into an immersive civic engagement project. Remember that civic engagement includes both direct service (teaching in a classroom, helping to build a house, etc.) and capacity building service (assisting with grant writing, working in the office of a non-governmental organization NGO). Consider your skills and interests to best determine the focus for your project. In the past, students have developed civic engagement projects that focused on: health, education, homelessness, housing, youth development, social services, etc.

When determining the focus of your project, it is also important to consider the skills you will need to carry out the project for the community partner. If you do not currently have the necessary skills, consider whether it is realistic to try to obtain them before you begin your project.

Location

The International Travel Oversight Committee (ITOC) at Duke maintains a Restricted Regions List, which applies to all undergraduates. According to ITOC, "Undergraduates may not travel to locations on the Duke Restricted Regions List on Duke-sponsored, Duke-administered, and Duke-approved programs, or for Duke credit (including transfer credit). If an undergraduate wishes to request an exemption from this policy, he or she may submit a Travel Petition to the International Travel Oversight Committee (ITOC)."

Step 2: Identify a community partner.

Start by contacting organizations working on issues related to your service goals. Ask these potential community partners if they would be interested in having you as a full time volunteer. If the organizations you contact do not respond, or if they tell you they do not have projects for you to undertake, you can also consider volunteering through a third-party program provider. A third-party program provider is an organization with whom you contract that develops and administers volunteer programs for a fee. Such a provider will have connections with a community and can help facilitate project development and logistics. The following websites may help you identify a third-party program provider:

http://www.universalgiving.org/
http://www.idealist.org/if/bridges/en/Home/default

There are pros and cons of working with a third-party program provider. The International Volunteer Resource Center (IVRC) has identified many of the pros and cons of working with a provider, which you should review if you are considering this option:

http://www.idealist.org/en/ivrc/which.html

No matter whether you work directly with an organization or if you choose to work through a third-party program provider, you should thoroughly research the organization or program. The IVRC created a list of questions to ask your community partner, to obtain information about the organization and volunteer work that is available for you:

http://www.idealist.org/en/ivrc/questions.html

Once you have selected a community partner, you should begin developing your project in conjunction with that partner. Together you should identify the needs of the community and determine how your interests and skills can help to fulfill those needs. Along with your partner, you will need to define the purpose and goals of your project. It is also important to establish a timeline, work plan, and any appropriate benchmarks to measure project accomplishments.

Please keep in mind that all DukeEngage projects must be at least 56 days long, exclusive of travel to and from the project location. Additionally, students must be actively engaged in volunteer work with their community partner for at least 35-40 hours per week. 

If you choose to volunteer through a third party program provider, or if your community partner has a competitive application process, you must be accepted to that program by March 1, 2010.

Step 3: Identify a Duke faculty or staff mentor.

The goal of the DukeEngage Mentor Program is to provide you with Duke community resources that will strengthen your proposal, enhance both your ability to support your intended community as well as your own DukeEngage experience, and link that experience to your life and studies back at Duke.

To see the DukeEngage Mentor Guidelines, click here.  When selecting a mentor, you should identify someone who will be able to provide resources that will strengthen your proposal. For instance, if you are planning to do work in Central or South America, you may consider seeking a mentor at the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies. Another example of a good mentor would be a faculty member who does research in the particular community in which you are proposing to volunteer. Alternately, you could find a mentor who has experience with the type of volunteer work you are proposing to do. For example, a mentor at the Global Health Institute could provide guidance on health related projects. Similarly, a mentor from the Nicholas School of the Environment could provide direction if you are proposing a project related to the environment.

If you are having difficulty identifying a mentor, DukeEngage may be able to provide suggestions based on your intended project.

Once you identify a mentor, the two of you must complete the Mentor Agreement Form. This form must be returned to the DukeEngage office by the Independent Project Application Deadline, which is January 14, 2010.

You and your mentor will also need to agree on a capstone activity to be completed upon your return to Duke. This activity can take the form of an end-of-project poster, an end-of-project report, an action-plan for a related service/civic engagement project, or some other activity you and your mentor create.

Step 4: Complete the online application.

The DukeEngage online application will open October 1, 2009. To see a preview of the application questions, click here.

Independent project applications are due January 14, 2010. If you apply for an independent project, you may not apply for a group program. Applicants who are being considered for funding will be interviewed in February. Independent project applications will be notified of admission on or near March 1, 2010.

Students who would like to develop an independent project that will take place at anytime during the 2010-11 academic year will also need to apply by January 14, 2010.

General Reminders

If you have any questions throughout the process, please contact Lindy Black-Margida at lindy.black.margida@duke.edu.

Merit scholars are NOT eligible to apply for independent projects; they are only eligible to apply for group programs.

Students who desire to collaborate with peers on the same independent project must submit separate applications. Each application will receive separate consideration and no more than three students will be funded to work on the same independent project. DukeEngage cannot guarantee that all students applying for the same independent project will be funded (regardless of how many students apply).

Research projects that involve human subjects (either through intervention or interaction with the subject, or by gathering identifiable private information about the subject) require Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval. It is not necessary, however, for you to seek IRB approval before applying to DukeEngage. IRB staff will evaluate all accepted applications to determine which students need to complete the IRB review process and will contact those students directly. For more information about the IRB review process, click here.

If you are interested in speaking with a past DukeEngage independent project student through the Peer Mentoring Program, please e-mail dukeengage@duke.edu.

Other Resources

The Duke University Libraries staff has created a list of resources for students participating in DukeEngage programs:

http://library.duke.edu/services/instruction/studyabroad/index.html