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
Submit your complementary learning here.
Need help submitting your complementary learning hours?
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; however, the events listed here are not 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.
Goodbye, Goodbuy!
We are sure many of you saw the Goodbye, Goodbuy! team in action at the end of the spring semester! They would love to have you see the result of all their incredible volunteers' hard work and have opportunities to volunteer this summer on various dates throughout June and July. Follow the link to see dates and available shifts, and keep an eye on posts from the team with information about how to volunteer for the fall sale and information on a potential job opportunity.
June 25 - July 30
On Campus
Complementary Learning Category: Volunteering & Service
SMASH THE CRASH
Did you know that more than 1 billion birds die per year from fatal window collisions in the United States? That’s nearly 2,000 birds/minute, making buildings one of the top human-caused threats to avian wildlife. Join Smash the Crash to help put an end to this preventable environmental problem. They are an RIT-based university-and-community initiative devoted to studying and preventing bird-window collisions.
If you are interested in getting experience with scientific research and working on a team committed to campus sustainability, please email them at SmashtheCrashROC@gmail.com. They're currently looking for volunteers who can dedicate 30-60 minutes every week to monitoring the campus for collisions. No past experience is needed; training will be provided for new volunteers. Students, faculty, and staff are all welcome to join. Need more info? Click here. Feel free to email Dr. Fadok (rxfgla@rit.edu) with any questions you may have. This is also a vertically integrated project.
Various Dates and Times
On Campus
Complementary Learning Category: Volunteering & Service
Together RIT
"Together RIT creates a space to ask questions, empathize, build solidarity, and give recognition to our unique experiences. The day is also an opportunity to highlight the positive contributions, joy and pride that come along with identifying with a particular religion, faith, or spirituality. It is a day to seek understanding of political divisions in order to discover what we also have in common.
Together RIT will provide RIT faculty, staff, students, and alums with the opportunity to share their work, passions, ideas, informed critiques, initiatives, performances, and artistic projects. Together RIT is a brave and accountable space, so different perspectives are welcomed." You can access their website here to submit a proposal.
October 23, 2026 from 10:00am - 4:00pm
On Campus
Complementary Learning Category: Engaging in the Intellectual and Cultural Life of the University
Breaking Bread Program
The Breaking Bread program is facilitated By Dr. Taj Smith, Executive Director for Community and Education, Division of Access, Engagement, and Success. The program consists of opportunities to practice dialogue and connect with people. If you are interested in any of the events being hosted, feel free to sign up here. Registration is encouraged, but drop-ins are allowed for the special edition options. There are 3-week commitments and also one-time events that can be looked at under the Programs section on this webpage.
Various Dates and Times
On Campus
Complementary Learning Category: Engaging in the Intellectual and Cultural Life of the University
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.
Alternating Tuesdays from 5:00pm - 6:00PM
On Campus
Complementary Learning Category: Engaging in the Intellectual and Cultural Life of the University
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.
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!
Check out our other opportunities below!
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