Get engaged with CSE

Your gift of time makes a difference!

Each year, CSE alumni, parents, and friends volunteer with programs that benefit students, the college, and the community. Join them!

Mentor a student

Hundreds of alumni and industry professionals join the CSE Mentor Program each fall to help current students transition from college to the workplace. The program runs from October through mid-April. Registration will open in August. Learn more about the CSE mentor program.

Enrich the student experience

Volunteer your professional expertise at the:

CSE Career Center by sharing insights about your industry as part of a panel, a careers-class guest speaker, or one-on-one with students. Please complete the volunteer interest form and indicate how you can help.
Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) Initiative—there are a record-breaking number of women enrolled in CSE, and the WISE Initiative acts as a resource for them. Plus, it promotes inclusion and diversity, and builds and strengthens the CSE community. Complete the WISE Initiative interest form to learn more about volunteer opportunities and social events designed for CSE women.

Participate in events and programs for the award-winning CSE Alumni Society

All graduates of the College of Science and Engineering are members of the CSE Alumni Society and are welcome to participate in Society events and volunteer programs. For access to even more events and programs designed for all U of M graduates, become a member of the University of Minnesota Alumni Association.

Join the CSE Alumni Society Board

The CSE Alumni Society Board serves in an advisory capacity to the college dean in matters concerning CSE alumni. Board members work to plan and execute alumni events (i.e. company site visits, networking receptions, and lectures), as well as promote activities and programs to foster an ongoing affiliation between alumni and the college, such as the CSE Mentor Program. To learn more, call CSE Alumni Relations Director Joelle Larson at (612) 626-1802 or email jblarson@umn.edu.

Support legislation

Ensure that your local elected officials understand the importance of the University of Minnesota to the Twin Cities. Participation is easy and offers various levels of commitment—from writing letters to sharing your story. Support the University’s legislative and funding requests by joining the UMN Advocates.

Community and STEM volunteer opportunities

The Science Museum of Minnesota seeks volunteers:

School Group Greeter. Meet and greet our school groups, as well as help supervise their lunch times. Tuesday-Fridays, 9 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Visitor Services Volunteer. Meet and greet our visitors as they enter into the lobby and exhibit entrance. Weekday and weekend shifts available.
Interpreters. Interpret information for visitors at the RACE: Are We So Different? exhibit. Weekday and weekend shifts available.
Experiment Gallery Interpreter. Interpret chemistry, physics, and math content. Weekend shifts available.
Collectors' Corner Volunteer. Help visitors expand their knowledge of the natural world. (Visitors bring in objects from nature and make trades with the Collectors’ Corner.) Weekend shifts available.
Dinos and Fossils Interpreter. Share information about dinosaurs and fossils. Weekend shifts available.
Preschool Playdates Program Volunteer. Share STEM activities with our youngest visitors. Tuesdays 9:30-noon.

Email Judith Berg at jberg @smm .org for more information about these opportunities.