Complementary Learning
Complementary Learning
Complementary Learning is an integral part of the Honors experience at RIT that supports student participation in activities that complement traditional academic work.
There are three main categories of activity that are approved for complementary learning: service and volunteerism with a registered non-profit, leadership activity, and engaging in the intellectual and cultural life of the University. Activities that are academic in nature or are considered professional development are not approved for complementary learning. Check the Honors Handbook for more detailed information about what counts as complementary learning, how to report what you've done, and how many hours you need each year to maintain good standing in the program. Here are a few reminders to help you stay on track:
- The complementary learning cycle runs from Sept. 1 - Aug. 31 each year
- Complementary learning is an annual requirement that does not accumulate year over year (check your entry year handbook for specific information)
- The maximum number of hours you can submit for any one activity or for activities with a single organization is 15 hours
- Hours should be submitted contemporaneously, within a month of the activity
- Progress towards your annual requirement is checked after the cycle closes in August. If at that time you have not met the annual requirement you will be placed into conditional standing and will have one semester to make up any deficit from the previous cycle
Do you have complementary learning hours to submit? Record your activity HERE
Current and Ongoing Opportunities:
Please see below events and activities that are approved by the Honors Program office for Complementary Learning. This webpage is updated regularly to add new opportunities - but they are in no way the only activities you can take part in to earn complementary learning hours. Please reach out to the Honors office if you have any questions.
Oct. 17-19 | Brick City Weekend
Oct. 17-19 - Brick City Weekend is RIT's annual homecoming event with concerts, exhibitions, and events for current students, families, and alumni. With dozens of activities to choose from, the organizers rely on the support of volunteers before and throughout the weekend to keep things running smooth for all attendees. Volunteers receive a free t-shirt and meal voucher! Follow this link to select your role and shifts: Volunteer - Brick City Weekend
Oct. 24 | Together RIT: Day of Dialogue
Together RIT: Day of Dialogue was launched in the fall of 2022, gathering the community to engage in intentional and honest dialogue about race, ethnicity, and racism. It offered students, faculty, staff, and alumni the opportunity to share their work, passions, ideas, critiques, initiatives, performances, and artistic projects with the RIT community through sessions held in-person. This year's event takes place from 10am-4pm on Oct. 24.
Volunteers are needed in the weeks leading up to and throughout the day to support marketing and communications, greet and guide participants, and set up / break-down for the event. Visit Together RIT to learn more about the event and to sign up to volunteer.
Complementary Learning is also approved for attending any of the lectures, discussions, or in person events throughout the day.
Meaning of Service- Reading and Discussion Group
Meaning of Service - Reading and Discussion Group - Fri. Oct. 24
Assistant Director Garth Freeman will lead a series of reading and discussion sessions meant to engage students in dialogue around what it means to serve. This text-based discussion forum will use selections of poems and excerpts from larger works taken from The Civically Engaged Reader to generate dialogues about our roles and responsibilities as citizens and members of our local, regional, and global communities. These sessions will activate ideas about how we can individually and collectively address social challenges and work towards positive change in our personal and professional lives.
Garth and Honors student Michael Bhardwaj, an Info Security & Forensics major in GCCIS will be co-facilitating a discussion on Friday, Oct. 24, 11:00 - 11:50 am based on The Lesson by Toni Cade Bambara as part of Together RIT. This annual campus-wide event brings the community together to engage in intentional and honest dialogue about race, ethnicity, and racism. The Lesson follows a young black girl named Sylvia and a group of her friends from Harlem as Miss Moore, a well-educated woman from their neighborhood, takes it upon herself to expose the children to the world outside of their community with a trip through the city to FAO Schwarz. The discussion will address themes of access and privilege, the impacts of disparities in socio-economic status and education, and how we can look to our recent history to inform a more thoughtful and equitable approach to building strong communities.
Honors Council
Honors Council
Attend an Honors Council meeting to learn more about getting involved in the Honors Program! Council meetings are a great way to meet and talk to your college's delegate, hear updates on Honors events, and provide feedback and suggestions for what you want to see. Honors Council dates and locations for the fall semester will be announced soon.
Attending Council meetings counts for 1/2 hour of complementary learning.
Approved Virtual and Summer Volunteer Opportunities
Volunteer this summer by getting involved in your community - in person or virtually! There are many online organizations that run on volunteers. These include transcribing documents for the Smithsonian, captioning TEDTalks, and contributing to conservation efforts by tagging animals in photos.
A list of approved virtual opportunities can be found here.
A list of approved nonprofit organization volunteer opportunities can be found here.
If you find an opportunity not listed and would like it checked, send an email to honors@rit.edu to see if its eligible for comp learning.
Testimonials
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“Throughout my experience with the American Cancer Society, I had the opportunity to learn about many different types of cancer, listen to the stories of many cancer survivors/fighters, educate others on cancer, and help bring awareness to the disease through a variety of activities. I had the opportunity to listen to many people's stories about how cancer affected them personally and relate to them and support them on an emotional level. I was able to help bring awareness to the disease by participating in many different fundraising events, and this opportunity helped me meet a new community of people who all shared the same interest. It taught me a lot about a relevant disease in our world currently and having the ability to come together with a group of people and participate in different events to raise awareness was very meaningful to me. I felt like this opportunity helped me feel welcomed in the RIT community, and I feel like I gained a lot from the social and intellectual aspects of my comp learning.”
-Mikayla Leibenguth CHST
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“It's really easy to get bogged down with the expectations you fail to meet for yourself. Then you start just focusing on all the things you can't do and you fail to realize all the things you can. This year's comp learning helped me to realize that there is nothing wrong with changing your goals and expectations if you need to because at the end of the day, any efforts are better than none.”
-Isaac Buswell COS
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“Complementary Learning helped me begin to find my place in the RIT and Rochester Area Community. As a first-year student, Complementary Learning helped me start exploring the Greater Rochester Area through the Into the ROC activities. I also learned more about the different organizations and opportunities on the RIT campus to help other students such as RIT Food Share. When I returned home on winter break, I was excited to get involved and connected with my community again through the FIRST Robotics Tournament”
-Rachael Tobey CET
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“Many of the hours I completed for complementary learning this year were focused on leadership for alpha Kappa Delta Phi and other organizations I am passionate about. This leadership position has taught me how to effectively voice my opinions and communicate effectively with other members of the organization, the International Leadership Board, and other organizations on campus. Additionally, it taught me how to organize weekly chapter/e-board meetings and lead workshops to fulfill our Risk Management requirement from International Leadership Board. This experience has given me the ability to separate my personal feelings in a professional environment, a skill necessary which was necessary for me to succeed in my internship/co-op that I took for summer 2022 and fall 2022.”
-Crystal Qu KGCOE
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"I've learned the importance of volunteers and those who donate their time, skills, and resources to the impoverished. Thanks to the help of volunteer lawyers, doctors, and even college students like me, we've helped keep these families afloat, whether it be through providing them with emergency food supplies, legal counsel they couldn't normally get, preventing shutoffs of their utilities, helping out with housing problems, and so much more. Even if it's just something little, the contributions of every volunteer matters."
-Albert Hynes GCCIS -
"I do not volunteer for the recognition. I volunteer because I care, I enjoy it and because I believe that it is a responsibility for all to partake in. A responsibility that entails giving back to others, giving back to those less fortunate, or to simply help others.”
-Zayneb Ghazle CHST
Ongoing Volunteer Opportunities
Connect with Rochester! The CLCE has an ongoing list of local organizations looking for volunteers that can be found here. They have a variety of focuses to explore, including Food Justice, Housing, Community Development, Environment, Animal Welfare, Activism, Youth Development, Health and Wellness, and Parks and Recreation!
Volunteer at the MAG
“Ask Me” volunteers are the backbone of all MAG events. They help contribute to MAG’s mission by welcoming and providing a friendly atmosphere for guests of the museum during special events. Prospective volunteers must be 18 and older and apply by filling out the application below. There are no educational requirements, but one should have an interest in art, strong communication skills, commitment to a short training session, and a minimum of a 2-3 hour assignment each month.
Fill out the Volunteer Form here!
Volunteer at the National Kidney Foundation
The National Kidney Foundation of Upstate and Western NY is on the lookout for passionate volunteers! Whether it's diving into administrative roles or capturing the heart of their events with photography - there's a spot for you!
Connect with Kristen West Ryan for more information
Phone: 585.598.3963 x373
Email: kristen.ryan@kidney.org
By volunteering, you’re not just helping out - you're championing the Kidney Foundation’s vital programs and showing immense love to our local Kidney Community.
Learn more: National Kidney Foundation
Volunteer with Shift2
Shift2 is a non profit organization on a mission to maximize the usefulness of existing technology to make a positive impact on people’s lives. They are conveniently located on Jefferson road.
Volunteer Duties Include:
- Wiping hard drives
- Troubleshooting devices
- Installing Operating Systems
- Physically cleaning computers
- Dismantling and recycling parts
- Sorting RAMs for resell
- Matching Computer Monitors
Available Monday- Friday anytime from 9am-6pm
Contact Lisa M. Muhammad at lisa@shift2nfp.org for more information.
Volunteer at Deaf Refugee Advocacy
Seeking enthusiastic volunteers to further their mission. Presently, they have openings for the following positions:
Teacher Resource Aide: Assisting in teaching ASL, English, and other subjects to our students.
Special Projects: Involvement in various special initiatives.
Transportation Provider: Offering support to clients requiring transportation to and from the office or specific locations.
Should you have any queries about volunteering, training, or require further information, please don't hesitate to contact them at
(inquiry@deafrefugeeadvocacy.org) or via video phone 585-286-3440.
Volunteer with Tru-impact
Join TRU-Impact Inc. and Empower Rochester's Youth!
Passionate about making a difference? TRU-impact is looking for student volunteers to tutor and mentor local youth. Be a part of a dynamic team, helping children reach their full potential!
Schedule: 1-2 times a week, 4:30-6 pm, Mon-Thurs.
Contact TRU-impact:
Email Deanna Baddley:
deanna@truimpactroc.org
Volunteer with YWCA
The YWCA is a powerful resource in our community, helping women and girls by empowering them to regain control of their lives and get on the path to a healthy, successful future. YWCA is seeking volunteers who want to make a difference.
For more information, please reach out to April Allen at allen@ywcarochester.org or sign up here
Volunteer at the Willow Center
Willow Center is the only New York State certified domestic violence service provider serving Monroe County. Our mission is to prevent domestic violence and ensure every survivor has access to the services and supports needed along the journey to a safe and empowered life.
If interested, reach out to volunteer@WillowCenterNY.org
Volunteer at the League of Women Voters
The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan, grassroots organization working to protect and expand voting rights and ensure everyone is represented in our democracy. Volunteers help set up registration tables and engage in activities like postcard writing and distributing non-partisan literature.
If interested in volunteering, please fill out this form.
Volunteer at the the Agape Haven
We are a growing grassroots organization meeting needs of the under-served population, especially women and girls. We empower our community using a holistic approach by providing access to educational resource, social emotional support and food security.
To volunteer, contact Julia Oakley at info@agapehavenofabundance.org or Sign up Here!
Volunteer with Flower City Pickers
Flower City Picker's mission is to support the local community with free food through the recovery and redistribution of safe but otherwise landfill-bound food. By enriching other hunger relief agencies and local farms, Flower City Pickers strives to establish and grow a platform for waste prevention and civic engagement. Since our start, we have recovered and redistributed one million pounds of food, keeping it in our neighbors' hands and bellies instead of the landfill.
Volunteers meet at the Rochester Public Market Saturdays between 2:30-4:00 pm to collect unsold food from the vendors that would otherwise be thrown away. These items are packaged and are then distributed to local agencies that directly serve the people in our community that can benefit from these donations. Follow this link for more information and to sign up: VOLUNTEER — FLOWER CITY PICKERS | FEEDING PEOPLE, NOT LANDFILLS
Volunteer with Rochester Greenovation
Rochester Greenovation helps people in Rochester NY keep things out of the landfill by running a second-hand store where you can donate items others can use, and where people on a budget can buy things at a very reasonable price. They sell a huge array of items needed for every-day living: furniture, clothes, tools, plates and glasses, pots and pans, as well as records, artwork, and odd bits of Rochester history and culture.
Volunteer at the store or to help with special projects by visiting: Volunteer — Rochester Greenovation (rocgreenovation.org)
Volunteer with Generation Two (G2)
Generation Two (G2) is a program run through The Strong National Museum of Play that connects community volunteers with kindergarten and first-grade students for one-on-one, child-directed play sessions in Rochester-area elementary schools. The sessions are designed to help the children practice social-emotional skills, build self-confidence, and forge intergenerational relationships—all while having a lot of fun doing so! They would love to welcome any interested individuals as either weekly or one-off play buddy volunteers. You can find more information here: Generation Two
Volunteer with Jewish Family Services
JFS volunteers are a diverse group of Rochesterians, united by their passion for serving the community in meaningful ways – from delivering meals, providing companionship to older adults, supporting new moms, providing literacy services, and much more. You can volunteer with JFS in many different capacities and programs. Check out their opportunities here: Jewish Family Services of Rochester
Volunteer with R Community Bikes
Volunteer as mechanics at the Rochester community bike shop where you can restore donated bikes that are given away to people in need. No prior mechanical skill/bike knowledge is required. They conduct training/orientations about every 6 weeks at 226 Hudson Ave, Rochester, NY 14605.
Interested students can visit the website here: R Community Bikes
Volunteer with Rochester Education Foundation
REF is looking for college student volunteers to help guide and inform high school and middle school students on career opportunities and options! You can learn more about College Connect and other opportunities here: Rochester Education Foundation
Volunteer with Rochester Rainbow Union
Volunteering at the Lilac Library: RRU is looking for volunteers to help out at the Lilac Library for a few hours a week. Volunteers will greet visitors and work on library-related projects including: checking in/out library books, reshelving books, folding clothes for the clothing closet, organizing, and general office work. Volunteers must have a commitment to serving the LGBTQIA+ community as well as a commitment to ending racism.
Volunteer shifts are Sundays 2-4pm and Wednesdays 6-8pm.
50 Prince Street near the RBTL theatre and the MAG - parking lot and nearby bus routes available.
Contact: info@gayalliance.org
Volunteer with Foodlink
Food Access. Food Literacy. Career Empowerment. Foodlink’s mission is to end hunger, but their overarching goal isn’t to “feed the need” in our communities. They aim to “shorten the line” with upstream approaches to address food insecurity. Foodlink is currently seeking volunteers for Donation Sorting, the Curbside Market, and Kitchen Driver Support. There are shifts available nearly every day of the week!
Sign up and learn more here!
Volunteer with RIT Habitat for Humanity
Join RIT Habitat for Humanity on their Weekly Build with the Genesee County Habitat for Humanity. The weekly builds are Saturdays 8am-4pm.