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Volunteer and social projects

The University of Milan supports volunteering in its many forms – aid activities, commitment to a cause, social cohesion projects, environment protection and development – with a shared goal: promoting social solidarity and cultural growth.

Our entire academic community is encouraged to proactively promote and support voluntary activities addressing social, cultural and environmental issues.

In addition to current projects, ranging from student tutoring in prison to orientation to volunteering and the Universal Civil Service, the University of Milan is studying short and medium-term programmes covering:

  • specific training courses, also in cooperation with non-profit organisations, to promote solidarity and engagement for the community and the common good
  • regulations and records of people and skills, to support voluntary activities involving technical, administrative and library staff 
  • memoranda of understanding with public, private and non-profit organisations in the local area, and volunteer programmes under welfare regulations and policies.
Social and Volunteer Projects Office
Via Festa del Perdono 7
Volunteer and social projects

The University promotes and enhances well-being and health-protection activities with a view to inclusion, and a focus on social trends such as aging population. Through the offices of the Innovation Division, particularly the Social and Volunteer Projects Office, and in collaboration with the Safety, Sustainability and Environment Division, the University supports professors and researchers in planning and managing social activities and public-health-protection initiatives. It fosters relationships with non-profit organisations, including through specific agreements or projects.

The process “Coordination of social and volunteer projects (planning and dissemination)” is certified according to UNI EN ISO 9001:2015.

Soft skills

Have you attended the community-engagement workshop (laboratorio civico) and/or volunteered at an association or prison for at least 75 hours, as part of one of the awareness-raising projects selected within the call “Non solo limiti”? If this is your case, you are now entitled to receive an open badge, a digital certificate of the knowledge and soft skills that you acquired through this experience.

For further information, please contact [email protected]

Current projects

With its community-engagement workshop "Active students in support of the disadvantaged", the University is looking to create a community of volunteers able to foster a culture of social engagement and raise awareness on the value of civil solidarity in the scientific and cultural field. The volunteers will contribute to the activities of partner foundations, associations and third sector organisations.  

Here below is a list of the organisations who are currently looking for volunteers, including details on the volunteering opportunities they offer.

To apply as a volunteer, please write to [email protected].

 

This community-engagement workshop is offered as part of the Student Innovation Labs (SIL) project. All undergraduate and graduate students are welcome to participate. 

The goal of the workshop is to create a "community of volunteers" equipped with the training and soft skills needed to support and promote a wide range of activities in the voluntary and social sector. Thanks to the experience gained through participation in group projects sponsored by foundations and non-profit organisations, these volunteers will contribute to fostering a culture of social engagement and to raising awareness on the value of civil solidarity in the scientific and cultural field.

The workshop is divided into two phases.

Phase I

This phase consists in an introductory meeting with partner organisations, followed by a training course covering the following topics:

  • Micro, meso and macro relationships
  • Business types in a plural welfare system and the voluntary/third sector
  • The size of the third sector in Italy
  • The symbolic and cultural codes of the voluntary and third sector
  • Subjective and intersubjective reasons for doing volunteer work

Phase II

  • Individual orientation interview
  • Volunteer work with a partner organisation

During Phase II, each student will be invited to an interview with a person from the Social and Volunteer Projects Office, and a person from the network of partner organisations. The goal of the interview is to help students make an informed decision regarding where to volunteer.

Students will then do volunteer work for the selected organisation for at least 75 hours. The volunteer period will be a chance to apply the knowledge and skills acquired at university in a real-life setting, sharing strategies and identifying concrete actions to support the disadvantaged.

By doing volunteer work, students also contribute to the University's efforts to become a "Civic University". This is why, depending on the degree programme in which they are enrolled, students can receive recognition for their volunteering period, for example in the form of academic credits (CFU/ECTS).

Students who complete both phases of the workshop (training course + 75 hours of volunteer work) receive an open badge, i.e. a digital certificate attesting to the soft skills acquired through participation in the project. 

Phase I of the workshop will be held in person in the Aula Maggiore of the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, via Celoria 2, Milan on 7 November 2024, with the following schedule:

  • from 10:00 am to 12:30 pm: introductory meeting with partner associations
  • from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm: training course

Attendance is compulsory for the whole day.

The date and time of the orientation interview will be agreed with each participant.

Further details are available in the programme linked below.

Social and Volunteer Projects Office

For information, please write to [email protected]

Registrations are open until 5 November 2024

Complete the form

The initiative promoted by Save the Children aims to raise awareness of early school leaving linked to the health emergency in the university community.

Weekly online tutoring sessions are offered to children and teenagers between 9 and 17 who need help with studying, and are in either a one-on-one or group setting. The initiative is sponsored by the Conference of Rectors of Italian Universities (CRUI) and by the Network of Universities for Sustainable Development (RUS).

Volunteers will receive special training, and will be mentored and supervised by professional educators during their tutoring sessions. The Social and Volunteer Projects Office monitors the tutoring sessions throughout the project's duration.

The project is open to students, faculty members, research fellows, postdocs, PhD candidates, language professionals, technical-administrative and library staff.

How to apply

  • Fill out the form required by Save the Children and join our team in Italy and abroad! 
    To access the form, you have to create an account by using the email address provided by the university ([email protected] or [email protected]) Please, answer “Through my university” to the question "How did you know us?" and “Università Statale di Milano” to the question “Which university are you enrolled in or work for”. 
  • Complete your application by filling out the internal form and keep in touch with the Social Projects and Voluntary Service Office. 

Award-winning project

Thanks to 357 students and a total of 44 faculty members, technical-administrative staff, research fellows, postdocs and PhD candidates who participated in the project, the University of Milan ranks first nationally in terms of the number of volunteers enrolled in the project, and is the only university that has opened the project to its entire community. As a reward for our commitment, Professor Marina Carini, Deputy Rector for the Third Mission, cultural activities and social impact was awarded a Save the Children plaque.

Help us improve

If you participated in the project, fill out the online questionnaire by clicking the link on this page. You will help us survey your satisfaction and improve future actions.

"Non solo limiti" campaign, launched in 2021, is aimed at the entire university community to pursue a Third Mission strategic goal called "The Civic University".

The "Non solo limiti" 2024 call for ideas aims to collect project ideas, actions, interventions, workshops, educational and informative activities, mentoring, and scientific research to support and protect people living in situations of deprivation of liberty.

Students, teachers, researchers, PhD students, fellows, trainees, linguistic experts, and technical-administrative and library personnel can participate in the call for ideas.

The projects will be pre-selected by a specific commission appointed by the rector's decree and must be pre-authorized by the penitentiary institute to carry out their projects.

The pre-selection is based on the following evaluation criteria:

Assessment criteria

Score

1) Project quality in terms of:

  1. consistency and relevance of topics
  2. skills involved

max. 40 points

2) Project originality and innovation

    

max. 15 points

3) Expected outcome and impact, project potential

     and follow-up

max. 15 points

4) Feasibility, including costs

     and economics

max. 30 points

A budget of € 25,000 for the year 2024 is allocated to the call, covering part of the estimated out-of-pocket costs of the selected projects. The funds will be disbursed as long as available, based on the ranking of shortlisted projects.

How to apply

If you want to participate in the Call, please submit your project proposal no later than 31 October 2024 at 11:59 pm. When completing the form, you will be required to enter a description of your project.

For information contact the Social and Volunteer Projects Office – Deployment of Intellectual Property and Innovation Division: [email protected] .

This project focuses on certain “at-risk” youth needing support outside normal school hours to catch up, or re-enrol and get back on an academic track. Students in primary, middle, and secondary schools within Milan's School District no. 4 are eligible for services.

The project on Educational Poverty and the Dropout Crisis ushers in a series of efforts in cooperation with local non-profits and social-welfare organisations. The aim is to build a network across the greater Milan metropolitan area, and to create synergies amongst the partners, by developing a policy of diversity and inclusion. The goal is to share best practices and to identify a concrete course of action to improve student-centred learning, and to reintegrate our “at-risk” youth who need support outside of the traditional school day, getting them back on track towards graduation.

If you are enrolled in a Bachelor’s degree programme, or Master's degree programme and are interested in participating:

  • view the complete programme
  • fill out the online form by logging in using your University userid ([email protected])  and become a volunteer in the fight against educational poverty and the dropout crisis. Stay in contact with the Social and Volunteer Projects Office: [email protected] .

The University of Milan stands in solidarity with the people living in the areas on the Syrian-Turkish border, which were hit by a devastating earthquake in the night between 5 and 6 February. The University also wishes to extend its deepest sympathy to its students coming from Syria and Türkiye.

The University invites students and staff to make a donation to Save the Children. Funds raised will be used to provide food, warm shelters and mental health support to Syrian and Turkish children and families affected by the earthquake.

Donate now
Save the Children Italia Onlus
IBAN: IT71P0501803200000011184009
Bank transfer reference: RACCOLTA UNIMI - TERREMOTO 26051

Our partnership with Save the Children continues with the ‘DRUZI’ project, which involves volunteers from the university community who can speak Ukrainian and Russian. Participants will help child, teenage and young war refugees in Italy with education and social integration.

The programme offers psychological counselling to Ukrainian mothers who are coping with trauma, while engaging teenagers and kids in play, social and educational activities.

If you can speak Russian or Ukrainian and would like to participate:

  • fill out the Save the Children form (link https://forms.gle/yoDAqWRg8iVd4hGSA) and become a volunteer tutor: to fill out the form, set up an account using your University credentials ([email protected] or [email protected]); answer the question “Come ci hai conosciuto?” (how did you learn about us?) ticking the box “Tramite la mia università” (through my university); select “Università Statale di Milano” to answer the question “In quale università sei iscritto o lavori?” (in which university do you study or work?)
  • complete your application by filling out the internal application form and keep in touch with the Social and Volunteer Projects Office. 

https://elixforms.unimi.it/rwe2/module_preview.jsp?MODULE_TAG=candidatura_SaveTheChildren2021

The University of Milan, in line with its Strategic Plan and Third Mission goals, is launching a community laboratory for students called "Understanding Volunteer Work", as part of the project "Train to Become a Volunteer with Your University".

Within the Student Innovation Labs programme, the laboratory aims to create a "community of volunteers" in order to provide training and develop transferable skills, to support and encourage charitable initiatives and volunteering. Drawing on group projects with foundations, associations and non-profit organizations, we will promote social engagement and solidarity in the scientific and cultural spheres.

 Target audience

The laboratory is open to all our students. We will accept 12 to 25 students who are interested in volunteering or are already volunteering and wish to enhance their social engagement.

Training

Trainers are from CSV Milano, an association that brings together leading charity and volunteer organizations in the Metropolitan City of Milan. CSV promotes, supports and improves volunteering in all its forms, through development efforts and services.

Laboratory structure

The laboratory is structured as follows:

  • A training course, encompassing two sessions and four modules.
  • Individual orientation interviews with students aimed at identifying the most suitable non-profit organization in line with their study plans.
  • A meeting for all participants to discuss and share their experiences.

All students who complete the training course will obtain a "Università del Volontariato®" certificate from CSV Milano, as well as a volunteer certificate from the chosen non-profit organization, specifying work activities, hours and skills learned.

Based on these certificates, students may apply for 3 transfer credits, where allowed by their degree programme.

Certificates and credits recognition for students

Based on these certificates, students may apply for 3 transfer credits (CFU), where allowed by their degree programme.

Learning objectives

Participants in the "Understanding Volunteer Work" laboratory will follow the training course "Active Citizenship and Volunteering", with the following learning objectives:

  • understanding the value of engagement
  • strengthening their sense of civic duty and engagement as volunteers
  • setting volunteer work into a broader personal and community development project
  • learning about volunteering: history, numbers, rules
  • understanding motivations to volunteering
  • creating a shared language and approach.

Expected outcome

Upon completion of the course, participants will:

  • understand and be able to tell others about the value of volunteer work
  • see themselves as active citizens, who are part of a community project
  • know how to integrate volunteering into a personal development plan
  • be ready to engage in volunteer initiatives leveraging on collaborative communication and action.

Contents

Module Content Approach
Module 1 Happiness and volunteering: sense of participation in the development of individuals and communities.

The trainer will explain the topics, present research on happiness indicators and their correlation with community engagement (World research of happiness, Ricerca Bruni Stanca of Bicocca University, Suzanne Richards of the University of Exeter).

Learning material:

Harvard University video on happiness and meaningful human relationships (in English).
Module 2 Volunteering: figures, rules and values.

The trainer will cover the following topics: What the Third Sector Reform says about volunteering, volunteering in figures both in Italy and worldwide, social and economic value of volunteering, Volunteer Charter of Values.

Learning material:

Ted Talk on volunteering, Volunteer Charter of Values, 3 videos on the Volunteer Charter of Values, Instant book "Il volontario e le attività di volontariato".
Module 3 Why volunteer? Motivations and learning.

The trainer will cover the following topics: Motivations to volunteering, research and data. Learning from volunteering: technical and transferable skills that can be gained from informal learning environments.

Learning material:

Volunteer Functions Inventory test on personal motivations to volunteering.
Module 4 Different forms of volunteering.

Focus on individual volunteering and cultural events.

The trainer will cover the following topics: presentation of different forms of volunteer work.

How to approach community volunteer actions: welcome initiatives, collaboration, organization, relations with citizens.

Learning material:

Videos about volunteer events.

Cultural Volunteering Charter.

Upon completion of the four modules, participants will be assessed through quizzes that are available with all learning materials and slides, on the e-learning platform (FAD Moodle of CSV Milano - Univol).

Dates and locations

The Laboratory will take place in two sessions at the UniMi Foundation, Viale Ortles 22/4 on the following dates:

  • 21 February 2022 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon
  • 28 February 2022 from 2:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

It will take place in person in the conference room of the UniMi Foundation on Viale Ortles 22/4. Participants will be required to hold a GREEN PASS.

Orientation interviews will take place, by appointment, every Tuesday morning in April at the UniMi Foundation offices on Viale Ortles 22/4, or remotely via the Microsoft Teams platform.

You can reach the UniMi Foundation on Viale Ortles by  bus, subway, train or tram.

These are the lines and routes that have stops nearby 34, 65, 91, 92 (bus), S1, S9 (train), M3 (subway).

How to apply

To participate in the laboratory, fill in the form.

Enrolment will be open from 7 February to 11.59 pm on 17 February.

Compila il form

Project
Pilot project agreement with ASST Bergamo Est to increase the number of Covid-19 tests from 100 / day to 1600-2400 / day in the "Bolognini" Hospital laboratory using OpenTrons high-technology equipment.

Volunteers
Technicians, students, upcoming graduates, PhD students and researchers from the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences

S.A.Vi.D  is a domestic-violence research and intervention project focused on the abuser in the relationship, meaning the person who has perpetrated intimate-partner violence and who has been granted an Alternative Sentencing Measure.
Instituted through the Criminology Section of Legal Medicine and Insurance, Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, S.A.Vi.D. is a specialised criminology clinic that handles teaching, training, and interventions on domestic violence, through a multi-disciplinary team made up of criminologists, psychologists, and psychotherapists.
The SA.Vi.D. centre is part of the Anti-Violence Network of the Municipality of Milan, and the National Coordination for Centres for the Treatment of Violent Men.
For more information:
Criminology Section
Legal Medicine Department, University of Milan
[email protected]

This project is the fruit of a collaboration with Puntozero company. For over twenty-five years, the Company has conducted theatre workshops at the Cesare Beccaria (“Bekka”) juvenile-justice centre. The programme brings together students involved in the juvenile system (whether detained or on probation or a diversion), and the young actors of the Puntozero company, for theatre workshops.

A month-long theatre laboratory has been produced every year since 2016 (the year of Shakespeare celebrations and the Shakespearean Festival - http://shakespeare400.unimi.it/), in part through the department, and in part at the Puntozero Beccaria Theatre, located inside the correctional centre.

The programme focuses on a different Shakespearean text each year, which is then workshopped by a blended group of juveniles and guest artists who lend a multi-disciplinary approach to the workshop. The project culminates in a public performance open to the entire community.

Over the years, the workshops have brought to life a series of performances, workshops, and seminars open to the public, featuring the work and talent of Statale students along with juvenile detainees at the Beccaria Juvenile Justice Centre, youth on probation, and the young actors of Puntozero Theatre. 

Those wishing to join the project must commit to taking an active part in all aspects of the theatre workshop. Everyone is involved in the entire process, from playwriting, to producing, to marketing the show. All participants keep a diary of their experience, and the creative re-imagining of some Shakespearean scenes. Some of the students hone skills in photography, as they capture scenes from the laboratory as they unfold; others work in the press office, interacting with journalists in person or through social-media channels to promote the final performance; still others have the opportunity to create the graphic design for the event and the playbill. Everyone has the chance to perform, whether as an actor or as a supernumerary.

By approaching far-away worlds in a creative, stimulating, and constructive way, the project hopes to tear down barriers: the kind we see around us, and the ones we carry within.

Project Director: Mariacristina Cavecchi (British Theatre)

[email protected]

More opportunities
More opportunities