Get Involved with UP!

You don’t have to be in a specific major to get involved with the UP Program. Any WCU student interested in getting involved can join our UP Program family. We work hard to accommodate your available volunteer hours and provide you with training, memorable experiences, and friendships to last a lifetime. Check out some of the different ways you can get involved below:

UP Program Volunteers
Volunteers (also known as unpaid natural supports) are a big part of what makes the UP Program so great! An interested volunteer is trained by WCU students serving as paid natural supports and UP Program personnel. Here are several ways you can volunteer to support UP students:

• Attending and supporting students in classes
• Supporting/tutoring with projects and homework
• Mentoring in healthy living practices
• Attending sporting events
• Exploring the campus and local community
• Supporting campus social events (e.g., religious groups, swimming, clubs, movies, plays, sporting events)
• Mentoring and teaching personal development goals
• Attending and giving input at person-centered planning meetings
• Helping collect data on Individualized Plan for College Participation (IPCP) goals

If you are interested in volunteering, please complete the UP Volunteer Survey. Once this is completed and reviewed, a UP staff member will contact you for an upcoming UP Orientation Training so you can get started.

UP Program Class Supports
Class supports are students who are already enrolled in the same class that a UP student is enrolled in. Class supports help take and review notes with the UP student, help keep the UP staff updated about assignments, and help the UP student with homework time outside of class one hour per week. Stipends are available for your small amount of extra time outside of class that you help the UP student. If you find out you are in a class with a UP student, please reach out! If you ever get an email asking you to become a class support please respond - we promise it is worth it!

UP Program Paid Supports
A small number of volunteers decide to take on a position as a paid natural support. Paid supports gain more responsibility, work 10-15 hours per week, and get to work with the UP students more on the job, with relationship and personal issues, and working more in depth on their goals. Some leadership areas include living near the students in the residence halls (suitemate), helping the UP students build their weekly schedules (scheduler), talking about more personal and relationship topics (About Life), helping coordinate student events and fundraising (RSO), and helping the students reflect on their goals each month (person centered planning partner). Have Work Study funds in your financial aid package? Let us know and you can work with us to use it!