UWI Student Volunteering Programme shapes the lives of participants and communities
When an alumni of UWI St Augustine paid a visit to Dr Kathy-Ann Lewis at the Division of Student Services and Development (DSSD), they told her of the transformational work they were doing as a social worker in one of the children’s homes in Trinidad and Tobago.
The inspiration for this career path, they said, was their participation in DSSD’s annual Student Volunteer Programme, an initiative managed by Dr Lewis.
As manager of the DSSD’s Careers, Co-Curricular and Community Engagement Unit, Dr Lewis frequently receives these courtesy visits. Students and alumni alike are eager to share how their time in the programme has shaped their lives and communities.With hundreds of students participating every year, Dr Lewis says that the programme aims to ensure UWI students become changemakers, which is aligned to the university’s commitment to service to community, regional and global development.
“When we look at the attributes of a distinctive UWI graduate,” she explains, “we can see how community engagement helps in fostering critical and creative thinking, problem-solving and leadership skills.
“Volunteerism assists students in becoming more socially, culturally, and environmentally responsive, which also sensitises them to the roles they play in contributing to the achievement of global Sustainable Development Goals.”
Created under UWI St Augustine’s 2012-2017 Strategic Plan, Dr Lewis says the activities of the programme fall under three categories.
Under the service learning category, students/ departments collaborate with others to solve a community issue using their degree-specific knowledge, like social work, psychology, or engineering. The community- based research category lets students undertake socially relevant research that can generate data and other actions to address community needs. The community service category lets students collaborate with others in any activity that meets community needs but doesn’t require discipline-specific knowledge.
To participate, students can either reach out to the DSSD or sign up during the division’s annual Volunteer Open Day.
“Every year, we have over 20 NGOs and community-based organisations that come on campus, so our students have the opportunity to engage with a diverse array of NGOs. This is a great opportunity for our students to understand themselves a bit more and acquire skills they wouldn’t normally recognise they possess. It’s also about service,givingback,advocacy,andactivism,”says Dr Lewis.
Over the years, the programme has worked with organisations like the Caribbean Youth Environment Network, the Arrow Foundation, the Adult Literacy Tutors Association, the Breastfeeding Association of Trinidad and Tobago, and the Trinidad and Tobago Transparency Institute.
Green Enviro TT was one of the organisations that the DSSD partnered with for the 2024/2025 academic year. Founded in 2018, they are a youth-led environmental NGO that fosters environmental awareness and action across Trinidad and Tobago, inspiring people to adopt sustainable practices.
Currently in his final year of his BSc in Biology studies, Elijah Vesprey was paired with Green Enviro TT. He participated in the volunteering programme to gain hands- on experience in the environmental field and contribute to a cause larger than himself.
Vesprey works with Green Enviro TT in their beach cleanups and social media campaigns, starting with an April cleanup in Chaguaramas.
“It is a nice place, but there was a lot of pollution which we had to clean to see the beauty of the environment again,” he says, adding that “as part of the social media team, we also do educational posters which promote sustainability.
“We also have upcoming activities like making a children’s book of local animals, taking part in more beach cleanups, and visiting STEM camps.”
Even though he is in his final year, Vesprey remains committed to the programme and Green Enviro TT. He wants to continue raising awareness on the importance of adopting environmentally sustainable practices. Another student of the volunteer programme, Nitya Dhanrajh, has become the team lead of Green Enviro TT’s social media, marketing, and communications group. A recent graduate of the BSc Environmental Science and Sustainable Technology programme, Dhanrajh oversees the development of digital content and outreach strategies and assists with community outreach and event planning.
“I chose to volunteer with Green Enviro TT because it’s more than just an NGO—it’s a community where I feel I truly belong,” she says. “With an environmental background in academics, I wanted to apply my knowledge in real-world projects, but I also wanted a space where I could learn, grow, and even make mistakes without fear of judgment. Green Enviro TT provides exactly that. Being part of this team often feels less like attending a formal meeting and more like friends coming together with a shared passion for the environment.”
Dhanrajh is encouraging everyone to embrace volunteering. She says everyone can collectively shape a brighter future for communities.When reflecting on the work of Vesprey, Dhanrajh, and other students, Lewis is proud of their contributions and dedication to becoming distinctive UWI graduates.
“I think these two students are really good examples of how our community engagement unit has motivated and fostered our students to go out and meet the needs of our communities,” she says. “Whether it’s sociological, psychological, environmental, or spiritual, they are out there advocating for people, and they have a genuine passion to see the lives of people improved.”
Dr Lewis encourages the nation to get more involved in community-based efforts to build the country, region and world.
