College is busy. Like calendar-full-before-you-finish-syllabus-week busy. So, if you’re going to add another thing to your plate this semester, it should be something meaningful. That’s where CAVE (Community Action Volunteers in Education) comes in.
Volunteering with CAVE isn’t about adding more to your plate, it’s about making the time you already have actually matter.
CAVE connects Chico State students with meaningful volunteer opportunities that support real community needs, build interpersonal skills, and fit into real student lives and schedules.
1. You’ll do something that actually makes a difference.
CAVE connects you with real community needs, not just “check-the-box” service opportunities. You might tutor local students, support food access efforts, help with local environmental projects, or assist at local events.
No matter what program you choose, you’ll see the impact of your time right away.
2. You’ll build real skills, with support along the way
Volunteering with CAVE helps you build skills employers and grad schools care about. You’ll develop communication, teamwork, leadership, and problem-solving skills, alongside the less visible but just as important ones like self-discipline, accountability, and seeing commitments through.
You’ll learn what it means to show up, work professionally with others, and follow through, all while being supported by fellow college student interns who are volunteering, learning, and growing right alongside you.
3. You’ll meet a lot of like-minded people
CAVE puts you in shared spaces with students who care about community and showing up for others. You’ll meet people from different majors, backgrounds, and years, all connected by a shared purpose.
Connection grows through shared work, and CAVE creates space for those connections to develop naturally over time.
4. You’ll grow, wherever you are in your journey
You don’t need a leadership title, or 5-year plan to volunteer with CAVE. Many students join just wanting to help or get involved on campus and end up gaining confidence, clarity, and a stronger sense of what they care about.
CAVE offers opportunities to try things out, build confidence, and gain real-world perspective; whether you’re exploring options or preparing for a career you already have in mind.
5. You’ll Be Part of Something Bigger Than Yourself
Volunteering with CAVE means being part of a larger commitment to the Chico community. CAVE partners with a wide range of nonprofit and local programs, so your service contributes to sustained, ongoing community support.
You’ll also have opportunities to take part in larger service efforts like Make A Difference Day (fall) and Cats in the Community (spring), where students, staff, and faculty join together to serve across multiple organizations and see the impact of collective effort.
However you choose to get involved, there’s a place for you in CAVE.
