There Are Only 24 Hours in a Day: Mitigating Issues of Access to Community Service Opportunities for College Students

Student affairs practice must proactively address issues of access in the design and delivery of community service experiences. Gone are the days of presuming equitable access to opportunities. Recent research identifies significant barriers associated with financial security, familial responsibilities, time, and transportation as critical constraints on students’ rates of participation in service. Data demonstrates students’ motivations to serve are currently at the highest documented rates historically. The article introduces the concept of “opportunity ecosystems” as a means to enable student participation in service.