For Students

Empowering Students, Transforming Communities

"I cannot believe that the purpose of life is to be happy. I think the purpose of life is to be useful, to be responsible, to be compassionate. It is, above all to matter, to count, to stand for something, to have made some difference that you lived at all."

– Leo Rosten, American writer, political scientist, teacher and humourist

Community service is not just something SMU students do - it is part of who they become. Our students embark on a journey that challenges them to look beyond themselves and engage with the world around them. Through Community Service, a cornerstone of SMU’s Core Curriculum, students are immersed in real-world experiences that build character, compassion, and critical thinking.

Guided by the Centre for Social Responsibility (C4SR), students complete meaningful projects both locally and overseas, many of which are aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Working with over 430 partner organisations, our students contribute to global priorities while learning what it means to be a responsible, ethical global citizen.

But the impact does not stop there.

Each student’s experience is designed to develop personal mastery, teamwork, project leadership, and cross-cultural understanding - skills that go hand-in-hand with SMU’s Graduate Learning Outcomes (GLOs). Whether leading a team on a sustainability initiative or coordinating logistics for an overseas community service project, students are constantly learning, reflecting, and growing.

These leadership opportunities prepare them not only for the workplace, but for life - nurturing graduates who are not only ready for the future, but ready to shape it.

Your Journey

Emailers & Telegram

Keep a lookout for updates from C4SR on volunteer opportunities and projects

Student-Led Projects

Join projects organised by senior students and/or your student clubs

External Opportunities

Explore websites of local non-profit organisations and social service agencies

At SMU, we support a wide spectrum of social causes that address critical community needs. Our community service initiatives are designed to create sustainable, transformative impact across various sectors, including:

  • Vulnerable Children & Youth
  • Elderly Care & Dignity
  • Migrant Worker Welfare
  • Disability Empowerment
  • Environment Sustainability
  • Social Entrepreneurship
  • Women Empowerment 
  • Animal Welfare
  • Mental Health

Reach out to C4SR to explore fresh ideas or discuss your own project in greater detail.

Reach out to us »

Start Early,
Explore Deeply

Begin your community service journey early to discover causes you are passionate about.

  • Meet graduation requirement on time
  • Explore diverse social impact areas
  • Build meaningful connections

Beyond Graduation
Commitment

Transform temporary engagement into a lifelong commitment. 

  • Continue making a tangible difference
  • Build long-term relationships with community partners and beneficiaries
  • Develop sustained social impact 

Personal Capacity
Volunteering

Students currently volunteering can discuss with C4SR about recording their subsequent involvement as part of their graduation requirement.

Reflective
Learning

Use your community service as a transformative personal growth experience.

  • Align your growth with at least three of the SMU Community Service Learning Objectives
  • Reflect on personal challenges
  • Document your experiences and learnings
  • Explore changing perceptions
  • Gain insights into social service

Beginner's
Checklist

Use this checklist as a guide for starting your community service project and embark on a lifelong commitment to social responsibility.

Download checklist »

Resources

Research Resources


SMU Office of Research (OR)

  • HO, Kong Weng. Contributors of Singaporean youths' wellbeing: Life goals, family-community-nation capitals, opportunity and social mobility. (2018). The state of youth in Singapore: Research compilation. 108-123. Read Publication »
  • KONG, Lily, & WOODS, Orlando.(2018). Smart eldercare in Singapore: Negotiating agency and apathy at the margins. Journal of Aging Studies, 47, 1-9. Read Publication »
  • KAMALDIN, Mohammed Nazir; KEE, Susan; KONG, Songwei; LEE, Chengkai; LIANG, Huiguang; SAINI, Alisha; TAN, Hwee-pink; and TAN, Hwee Xian. SmartBFA: A passive crowdsourcing system for point-to-point barrier-free access. (2019). 2019 44th IEEE Conference on Local Computer Networks (LCN): Osnabrück, Germany, October 14-17: Proceedings. 34-41. 
    ​​​​​​​Read Publication »
  • WONG, George. (2019). Grassroots volunteerism in Singapore: A survey of the literature. In Educating for Empathy: Service Learning in Public Policy Education (pp. 49-68). Singapore: World Scientific. Read Publication »

Research on Successful Ageing (ROSA)

  • STRAUGHAN, Paulin Tay, & TAN, Micah. (2022). Adapting to an ageing society: The need to reimagine growing old. In Social context, policies and changes in Singapore: Beyond the first 50 years (pp. 287-302). Singapore: World Scientific. 
    Read Publication »
  • TIEW, Zidane; HIAH, Wei Tin; NGU, Rachel Wen Yi; and LIM, Wensi. Empowering ageing-in-place. (2024). 1-28.   
    ​​​​​​​Read Publication »

Lien Centre for Social Innovation (LCSI)

  • NAGPAUL, Tania and CHEN, Jinwen. Self-determination theory as a framework for understanding needs of youth at-risk: Perspectives of social service professionals and the youth themselves. (2019). Children and Youth Services Review. 99, (1), 328-342. Read Publication »
  • SIDHU, Dalvin; NG, Weng Lin; and WEWALAARACHCHI, Thilanga Dilum. Transforming the volunteer experience in the social service sector. (2023). 1-41. Read Publication »
  • SIDHU, Dalvin; NAGPAUL, Tania; NG, Weng Lin; and WEWALAARACHCHI, Thilanga Dilum. The hunger report part II: Targeting specific needs in the wake of COVID-19. (2022). 1-27.  Read Publication »