Gorilla Action connects students with volunteer opportunities

A new initiative at Pittsburg State University is designed to strengthen connections between students seeking volunteer opportunities and community organizations in need of volunteers.

Currently in the soft-launch phase, Gorilla Action is a centralized platform on which community-based organizations can post service opportunities and where students can discover ways to get involved; faculty and staff also can participate, if desired.

The initiative is coordinated by Lacy O'Malley, assistant director for Service & Civic Engagement in Campus Activities.

In the past, many volunteer partnerships were built through personal relationships developed by student organizations or university staff. Those relationships often changed as student leaders graduated and moved on.

"Too often, volunteer opportunities depend on who you know or whether you happen to see a post online," O'Malley said. "Having one place where students and community organizations can connect removes some of those barriers. We want students to be able to find opportunities that matter to them and make a difference in the community while they're here at Pitt State."

Gorilla Action also addresses a long-standing challenge for student organizations that require service hours, including fraternities, sororities, and the Honors College. Rather than spending significant time identifying community needs, building contacts, and coordinating service opportunities, student leaders can now access established partnerships through a single hub.

The initial purchase of the software was funded through a grant from the Pritchett Trust.

Students (and faculty and staff) can access the platform by visiting pittstate.galaxydigital.com and logging in with their Pitt State single sign-on credentials.

Community organizations interested in participating should first visit the Service & Civic Engagement website at pittstate.edu/service

There, frequently asked questions and registration information are available.

Then, organizations can designate a representative to create a user account on Gorilla Action and work with O'Malley to complete the onboarding process and required partnership agreement.

As part of the rollout, O'Malley will meet with leaders of all registered student organizations on Sept. 1 to demonstrate the platform and answer questions.

The university also will host the Find Your Cause Volunteer & Service Fair on Sept. 15, bringing together registered community organizations and student groups focused on service. The event is designed to help students discover causes that align with their interests and connect directly with volunteer opportunities.

A bonus: Gorilla Action tracks volunteer hours and involvement over time. Students and organizations can maintain a record of their service activities and generate a formatted volunteer résumé that can be used for employment, scholarship, and graduate school applications.

For more information visit pittstate.galaxydigital.com or contact Campus Activities at 620-235-4794.