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frequently asked questions

What is NUS CSC?

NUS CSC, also known as NUS Students’ Community Service Club, is the largest volunteering group in NUS!   

What are the different programmes in CSC?

Our projects are categorised into 3 main arms, namely Special Projects (SPs), Regular Volunteering Programmes (RVPs) and Exploratory Programmes (EPs).

What are the differences between these 3 arms?

SPs are short-term projects that typically last between 3-6 months, while RVPs take place on a weekly basis all year round. EPs are the growth arm of our club and mainly focus on coming up with new ideas for the rest of our programmes so if you’re interested in innovation & creativity, EPs are for you!

Who are the community member groups CSC is serving?

CSC serves 4 main sectors: the elderly, youth, intellectually disabled and healthcare.

Why CSC?

As the largest volunteering group in NUS, CSC provides a diverse profile of volunteering programmes. Besides developing the spirit of volunteerism, you will also get to forge meaningful friendships with fellow volunteers! It’s also cross faculty so you can meet people from other faculties too!

What is the commitment level like?

SPs and EPs like LEAP Project and SparkSeed are shorter-term projects of 3 to 6 months, whereas RVPs usually take place throughout the academic year, with hiatuses during examination weeks.

How do I get more information about CSC?

For the latest updates, do follow our Telegram channel (https://t.me/nuscsc), as well as Instagram and Facebook pages (@nuscsc).

Sounds great, how do I join?

RVP recruitment is usually held at the start of the academic year in August while SPs and EPs have slightly different timelines which we’ll share more about during SLF & CSC Outreach so you can sign up for the project directly when recruitment starts. You can also keep an eye out on our Instagram Story and our telegram group where we post all our recruitments!

What are RVPs?

Regular Volunteering Programmes (RVPs), as the name suggests, are volunteering programmes ongoing throughout the academic year, usually on a weekly basis.

Who will I work with?

The community member groups include the Children/Youth, Elderly, Persons with Intellectual Disability and Healthcare sectors respectively. The volunteers that you will work with can come from all over NUS!

Why join RVPs?

Through RVPs, you can volunteer regularly and forge lasting relationships with community members and fellow volunteers!

Which RVP should I join?

We have 13 different RVPs, across 4 sectors, which you can find out more about here. Alternatively, you can take our RVP quiz to find out which RVP might suit you the most!

Where will RVPs take place? I hate travelling...

Our various RVPs take place all over Singapore, so you can definitely find a RVP that you can conveniently travel to! Currently, we have 6 RVPs conducting online and 6 RVPs conducting physically, of which 1 of them is on hybrid mode!

I am interested, but I do not have prior experience in volunteering 🙁
Not to worry, no prior experience is needed! All you need is an open and willing heart <3>
I am interested, but I’m afraid of signing up alone 🙁

Over the years, many of our volunteers signed up alone initially, but managed to find a close-knit group of volunteering friends in their RVP!

I’m interested in joining a C&Y RVP but the interest form stopped accepting submissions, how do I continue from here?

If you are keen to work with C&Y, you can look out for SP / LEAP projects that target Children and Youths during your respective AY!

When is the recruitment for the different Special Projects?

Recruitment of Special Projects usually happens at the start of each semester, with each semester offering different Special Projects. If you are looking at stepping up to lead a project, recruitment of Project Directors usually happens around August to September in Semester 1 and January to February in Semester 2! However, if you are keen on joining the organising committee, it will happen around a month after the project directors have been recruited. Feel free to check out our csc telegram on their recruitments & to get more timely updates regarding the various volunteering opportunities available.

Why join SPs?

If you are unable to commit the entire year for RVPs, you can consider joining SPs to make your semester/school breaks more fulfilling! You also get to meet like-minded people who are passionate about volunteering! Moreover, joining as part of an Organising Committee or as a Project Director will allow you to be heavily involved in the projects and also allow you to be part of creating your own unique volunteering journey. No two iterations of Special Projects are the same and each has their own distinct experience to offer!

Which SP should I join?

Depends on which group of beneficiaries you are passionate about! Fret not, we offer a wide range of opportunities for you to choose from, from getting to interact with migrant workers to volunteering for less financially privileged families, just to name a few! Find out more about our projects here

Do I need to have prior volunteering experiences in order to sign up for SPs?

No, you don't have to! All that matters is dedication, commitment and having a heart to serve!

I am interested in a few projects!! Can I sign up for a few SPs?

Yes, there is no limit to the number of SPs you can sign up for! Perhaps during the interview, you can get to find out more about the commitment level and when the project’s main phases

When is the recruitment for the different Exploratory Programmes?
  • LEAP PDs: for AY23/24 Sept-Oct
  • LEAP OC: for AY23/24 Nov-Dec
  • Keep a look out on our telegram to be update
Why join EPs?

Have you always wanted to start your own ground up community service project or pitch your idea to improve current programmes? If your answer is yes, then Exploratory Programmes are for you! Don’t worry if you don't have a concrete idea or rich experience/confidence, LEAP projects and SparkSeed are great avenues for you to venture out of your comfort zone and begin your journey in this sector! 🙂 Guidance and support will be provided throughout the fun and meaningful experience. For more volunteering opportunities, do check out collaborative programmes as well! EPs are a great way to try some new volunteering programs. LEAP Projects and SparkSeed provide opportunities to venture out of your comfort zone and think creatively about volunteering. Join EP to push yourself to learn new things like work with new beneficiaries, start your own community service project and improve current programs. EPs provide you with the space to learn but also supports you with guidance and mentoring to maximise your potential.

Which EP should I join?

Really depends! What sort of activities you enjoy, what level of commitment you can have, what community members you want to work with. EPs are newer and younger programs, but there’s still a very wide range of the different kinds of programmes. If you have a creative streak, join SparkSeed or LEAP Projects! Find out more here.

I would like to start my own LEAP project. How do I go about doing it?

You should start with having an understanding of who you want to help and why. Once LEAP recruitment begins, simply fill in the form with a brief description of your idea and you’ll be called for an interview. During that we will find out more about your idea and if chosen, the VPEP and gen sect will guide you through the process of starting your project.

Don't worry if you lack experience or confidence! There will be people to guide you, and the very premise of LEAP is to help those who are less experience to still have an opportunity to lead and start your very own program. You’ll also be given $750 seed funding 😀

How long are EPs?

Depends on the programme! Short term projects (6 months): LEAP projects and SparkSeed