Students in the Utah System of Higher Education are serving their communities while gaining workforce-aligned experience and earning money to pay for their education through a new state program called the One Utah Service Fellowship (OUSF). This state initiative helps strengthen Utah’s public sector workforce, expands civic engagement, and connects students with real-world learning opportunities.
Senator Ann Milner and Representative Val Peterson introduced the bill that created OUSF during the 2024 General Legislative Session, aiming to increase volunteerism among young adults. Young adults who participate, including both current and prospective college students, can earn funding to help pay for higher education and may be able to receive academic credit toward their degree.
OUSF builds on Utah’s strong culture of service. According to AmeriCorps, Utah has the highest rate of formal volunteering in the nation. Though the program is less than two years old, OUSF Program Director Janell Torres says the program has already seen significant growth, with almost 1,300 individuals completing almost 440,000 hours of service.
Students can choose from a wide variety of public sector organizations to work with for their fellowships. Utah is home to over 11,000 nonprofits, 75% of which operate on budgets under $100,000. Torres says these nonprofits and other public sector organizations need recurring, sustainable volunteers who can make long-term impacts, and OUSF fellows provide this. For Utah colleges and universities, the program also creates more opportunities for students to apply classroom learning in community settings while developing workforce-ready skills.
OUSF fellows hold active roles and are integral to these organizations, says Torres. One example she points to is mobile dental hygiene clinics, where fellows in higher education dental hygiene programs provide no- or low-cost cleanings to Utahns, some living in rural areas. One Salt Lake Community College student fellow, Olivia Arona, previously shared with OUSF that she learned a lot during her time at a Rose Park dental clinic and found it rewarding to “see patients receive care that they really needed.”
Students participating in this program through other USHE institutions have also found the program to be a valuable source of professional experience, personal growth, and community connection. Michael Barry, an OUSF fellow and a Utah State University student studying mechanical engineering, said working with veterans was new to him when he began volunteer tutoring at the university’s Veterans Resource Office. He felt a particularly strong connection with one student, helping him with his studies, while also getting to know him personally. As their relationship developed, Barry said he learned more about the student’s service as a veteran, and they became friends.
This was Barry’s first volunteer experience. Because he was giving his time, rather than being employed as a tutor, he felt he could form genuine friendships. “People know I’m doing this because I care,” Barry said. “I see them open up and we connect more than we would if I were there because I had to be.”
Gary Ahluwalia participated in OUSF while studying accounting and finance at the University of Utah’s David Eccles School of Business. He’s volunteered with the Red Cross since OUSF began in August 2024, taking on a variety of roles, including working with Disaster Services at the Northern Utah Red Cross chapter, ensuring adequate supplies in case of a disaster, and coordinating the installation of free smoke alarms for those in need. Although Ahluwalia has since graduated and completed his fellowship, he continues to volunteer with the Red Cross. He says his time there has been a great experience and recommends OUSF to students who are curious about the program. “You get to meet a lot of great people and mentors, while making a meaningful impact on the community, and I think that’s really important.”
Experiences like these help students develop durable skills in communication, leadership, problem-solving, and project management that employers consistently value. As participation expands, OUSF is becoming an increasingly important partnership between higher education, state government, and Utah’s nonprofit and public sectors. The program helps address community needs while providing students with post-service awards based on hours served and hands-on experiences that support both educational attainment and workforce readiness.
There is a wide range of service opportunities available to OUSF fellows, but if a student is passionate about a specific cause and doesn’t see a role listed, Torres encourages them to reach out. She says OUSF can help create new placements and match students with meaningful service opportunities.
Torres says she’s excited for OUSF to continue growing and reaching more students across the state. To learn more or sign up, visit the OUSF website.