President’s Volunteer Award

Our vision for the University of Limerick is to provide an outstanding student experience, to actively serve our communities and to contribute to the civil, social and cultural life of the Shannon Region and beyond.  The PVA is a unqiue higher education volunteer award.  The President of the University formally recognise students for their volunteering work and that is why all PVA's boost the UL student transcipt.  Please take the time to explore this website and discover how volunteering can help to make a difference in your own life and in your community.
 

The President's Volunteer Award is also designed to help you put the V in your CV during your time in UL. The best thing about putting the V in your CV is, your are supporting and contributing to the development of clubs, societies and organisations as well as the people using and needing these services and supports.  You are also making great use of your spare time, learning new skills and gaining valuable practical experience and transferrable workrelated skills. That's why our clever students volunteer!

About The PVA

The President's Volunteer Award (PVA) has been established to harness, acknowledge and support the contribution that students at the University of Limerick make to their communities.  The PVA draws on a strong tradition of student volunteering both on and off campus.

The primary goals of the PVA are:

• Sustain and foster a culture of volunteering, active citizenship and civic engagement amongst the student population.
• Develop collaborative projects as well as furthering existing initiatives between UL and our communities.
• Formally acknowledge and support the contribution that UL student volunteers make to our communities.
• Promote the development of civic and leadership skills amongst students.

How Does it Work?

The most important requirement for the PVA award is that you show a commitment to volunteering during your academic year. The PVA is calculated on a maximum of three hours weekly volunteering work except when volunteering overseas. The Overseas PVA is based on students engaging with pre and post training provided by Comhlámh in addition to the completion of the PVA reflective portfolio.
 

To find a volunteer opportunity on campus or off campus in our many community organisations browse through volunteering opportunities. Please note: You are not limited to these opportunities. If for example, you volunteer in your home county (sports clubs, youth clubs, etc) or you volunteer abroad or you have created your own volunteer opportunity, once your have your hours signed off and you complete the refelctive portfolio you can apply for the PVA.

HOT TIP: if you know of volunteering opportunities in your home county then go and organise volunteering hours with them. Contact pva@ul.ie for further guidance,information and support.
 

Please note:
The PVA does not recognize volunteering work completed after the academic year-ends unless it is overseas volunteering. The closing date for applications is the 31st May of that academic year. PVA application (online hourly log and reflective portfolio) must be received by the CLO on or before this date.

• The PVA is awarded to students who have completed a PVA application form, reflective portfolio and have their volunteering hours signed off by their supervisor.
• You can only earn a maximum of 3 hours volunteering work per week to be eligible for the PVA with exception to Overseas PVA. The reason why is that we want to ensure you show a committment to your volunteer organisation. For example, 3 hours X 7 weeks = 21 hours. You need 20 hours to earn a Bronze award.
• You can volunteer as many hours as you want and we encourage student to log all their hours. (The total hours volunteered by students at UL is published eventhough the PVA accounts for 3 weekly volunteer hours).
• Full-time students have the opportunity to earn a Bronze, Silver, Gold, Overseas award every year.
• You do not have to get a Bronze or Silver award before applying for a Gold.
• During a 4 year degree program, you could potentially earn 4 PVA awards. (not doubt this haul of awards will impress any employer!).

Applying for the President's Volunteer Award

Due to COVID19 this year the PVA criteria has changed affecting the number of volunteer hours students need to have completed for each of our awards below. Read more here. 

The Office also created a new PVA - COVID-19 2020 PVA - there are no hours required for this award. This is an additional award which is related to COVID19 volunteering activities only. You can apply for the COVID-19 2020 PVA along with the Gold, Silver, Bronze, Plassey and Overseas awards.  

Step 1: Decide what award you are applying for:
BRONZE: 20 hours of volunteering
SILVER:   40 hours of volunteering
GOLD:      60 hours of volunteering

Plassey:    12 hours in one semester - The Plassey Award recognises that international students spending one semester at UL do not have the same opportunities as those students spending a full-academic year at UL. Therefore, students spending one semester in UL may apply for the Plassey Award To be eligible for this award you must show a committment to volunteering.

Overseas:  Pre and post volunteering training provided by Comhlámh (www.comhlamh.org)
International Students: Plassey Award

Step 2: Ensure hourly logs are signed (Overseas ensure pre and post training hours signed by Comhlámh).

Step 3: Complete (by typing) the reflective portfolio and have it signed off by your volunteering supervisor (all instructions are on the PVA cover page). This form is designed to help you reflect on the impact and benefits that both you and the community organisation gained from your volunteering role (the reflective portfolio will be very useful when you are updating your C.V. and in job interviews).

Step 4: All completed applications must be submitted to the PVA Office (EM-023A or SU-105) by May 31st.

Step 5: All completed forms will be reviewed by the PVA Selection Committee and once signed off you will receive confirmation of your award.

Step 6: The PVA ceremony takes place in September in the University Concert Hall. All UL students are welcome to attend the awards.
 

Community/Students/Higher Education Institutions:

Studentvolunteer.ie is a network of Irish Higher Education institutions that have come together to create a unique database, management system and online resource that is directed towards the development of civic engagement through student volunteering. This new unique national system will connect students and community groups, charities, schools, hospitals, public bodies and NGOs across Ireland and beyond. It will also for the first time acknowledge, promote and support higher education student volunteering across the sector and provide evidenced based information on their contribution to Irish society and beyond. It will also connect communities across Ireland and beyond to this very valuable resource.

Studentvolunteer.ie is funded by each Higher Education member institution and Campus Engage.

Why join studentvolunteer.ie?

Community

Members of studentvolunteer.ie avail of the following:

• Online database and management system that enables you to promote your volunteer opportunity to higher education students across Ireland and connect directly with this cohort.
• Develop and create civic engagement partnerships with staff and students in higher education institutions across Ireland.
• Work in collaboration with higher education institutions across Ireland to develop best practices in civic engagement activities.

Students

Members of studentvolunteer.ie avail of the following:

• Facilitates higher education students across Ireland to get involved in your local communities.
• Provide online management system that enables you to log your volunteer hours and reflect on your learning.
• Profiles the significant volunteer contribution that higher education students make to their communities in Ireland and beyond.

Higher Education Institutions

Members of studentvolunteer.ie avail of the following:

• An efficient and effective management system that promotes and supports higher education civic engagement through student volunteering.
• A bespoke database that captures the diversity of community organisations engaging with higher education institutions in Ireland and the multiplicity of volunteer activities higher education students are delivering.
• A civic engagement professional practitioner forum for sharing best practices.