Resources for Students
Our resources for students have been designed to be used as self-guided activities which universities can share or signpost their student cohorts towards.
In this section, you will find a range of resources which are based on delivering our social action activities with students. These include supporting student leaders, delivering volunteering, and training students. They include a guide to volunteering, a guide to incubation, workbooks on campaigning and advocacy and student leadership, and a self-audit on student skills.
"My volunteering shaped me far more than my degree really did in terms of identifying what my values are, and what my role is in society. It's devastating seeing Student Hubs is going because I think the benefit of the Hub was about personal development, and equally about the relationships that you build within that. I made friendships in the committee I was with … It's quite a powerful mindset to have both for yourself and for others that relationships can be built through simple engagement … I think more universities should give opportunities for social action activities and I think that all universities should really put volunteering at the forefront of their careers programmes"
Supporting Student Skills
This set of resources is designed for students to develop and reflect on their skill sets and assess what support they need to thrive in student opportunities, and support students who are interested in participating in volunteering or social action either with their universities or in their communities. These guides introduce what volunteering is, how to incubate and design social action activities as a student leader, and where to go for support.
Accessible Programme Design Checklist
A detailed checklist for activity leads to ensure inclusive and accessible programme design for student activities, covering all stages from outreach to participation.
Building My Skills as a Student Leader Workbook
This workbook supports student leaders in honing crucial skills for effective leadership, including volunteer management, public speaking, resilience, and project management.
Campaigning and Advocacy Workbook
This self-guided workbook equips university students and early career professionals with essential skills for effective campaigning and advocacy. Through five modules, it covers campaign planning, communication strategies, and maintaining wellbeing whilst driving social change.
Student Guide to Incubation
A practical guide for university students to develop and implement social action projects, from initial idea to scaling up or closing down activities. Includes frameworks, checklists, and real-world examples.
Student Guide to Volunteering
This comprehensive guide introduces university students to social action and volunteering, covering the benefits, how to find opportunities, and ways to develop leadership skills through community engagement.
Student Skills Audit
A reflective tool designed to help students evaluate and enhance their leadership skills, focusing on motivation, growth mindset, and curiosity as foundations for personal development.
Student Volunteering: A Short History
A range of webinars about building social action within the university experience.
About this page
At the Civic University Network and its National Civic Impact Accelerator Programme, we recognise the profound and enduring influence that engaged citizens have within their communities. We firmly believe that universities are pivotal in inspiring individuals, teams, and systems to better serve their localities.
By providing a platform for these invaluable resources, we aim to help secure the strong legacy of Student Hubs' impactful work, and offer the Higher Education sector a range of free, effective tools to drive positive change.
Our goal is to empower universities to transform lives and places through a truly civic approach, which cannot be achieved without enhancing the student civic experience.
Adam Leach, NCIA Programme Director
