Volunteer at The Aurora Center!
Learn, advocate, educate.
The Aurora Center offers volunteer opportunities at The University of Minnesota that are focused on providing support to survivors and education around campus. All positions are designed to foster leadership and professional skill development for volunteers.
The application for Direct Service Advocates and Violence Prevention Educators is typically open at the end of August - beginning of November, for training in January-February. Please read the Volunteer Information Packet and consider applying in fall 2025.
The application for Special Projects Volunteers opens in spring, for training in May/June. This role primarily staffs our table at campus events throughout the summer to provide outreach and share about Aurora services. Applicants must be available to volunteer over the summer in the mornings.
Learn more about these volunteer opportunities below!
Direct Service Advocate
Direct Service Advocates (DSA's) are trained as confidential crisis counselors to listen, provide support, and explain options to victim/survivors and concerned folks on our 24-hour helpline after business hours. They also respond to campus hospitals to provide support during medical forensic exams. This position requires 40 hours of training, which is provided to selected volunteer applicants by Aurora staff in December-February.
Read more about the DSA volunteer position in the Volunteer Informational Packet.
Violence Prevention Educator
Violence Prevention Educators (VPE's) facilitate workshops on campus and educate on the issues of sexual assault, relationship violence, stalking, and other related topics. VPE's are confidential advocates trained to facilitate conversations that follow Aurora's Power of Respect Curriculum. This position requires 40 hours of training, which is provided to selected volunteer applicants by Aurora staff in December-February.
Read more about the VPE volunteer role in the Volunteer Informational Packet.
Special Projects Volunteer
Looking to get involved with our office? Would you be interested in representing The Aurora Center by staffing various events across campus?
Special Projects Volunteers (SPV's) serve as our lead volunteers for staffing tables at events across campus to educate our community on our services. SPVs mainly represent Aurora at new student orientation and Welcome Week during the summer and fall, as well as in the Homecoming Parade and other outreach events throughout the year. Many incoming students and their families learn about Aurora's services at these events during this summer, so we depend on our SPV's to serve as ambassadors of Aurora. SPV Applicants must be available to volunteer over the summer in the mornings. Applications for SPV's open in spring, for training in May/June.