30 Minutes a Month
- Connect & Make an Impact
- 30 Minutes a Month
Join 30 Minutes a Month!
Welcome to the opportunity to make a positive impact in the lives of current students and fellow alumni in 30 minutes (or less) a month! 30 Minutes a Month is a micro-volunteering program, where you give 30 minutes to complete online activities that benefit fellow graduates, support current students, and enhance your own professional development.
Each month, members will be sent a primary activity that will take approximately 30 minutes or less to complete. If the primary activity doesn’t peak your interest, there are also a number of general activities to choose from instead. Please note that members can’t choose to complete the same activity two months in a row. After completing activities for 2 months, 6 months, and 9 months, members will receive a reward at each milestone.
Please see below for the numerous activities that are part of this year's program. You can also check the FAQ for further information on details you may be wondering about.
From PMC to Pioneer to Pride, all alumni from all program levels, certificate through doctoral, are eligible to participate in 30 Minutes a Month!
Sign Up
Sign up using our online form.
Complete your activity
Choose and complete your activity for the month.
Submit
Submit your activity using our online form so we can keep track of your progress towards rewards milestones.
Below are some of this year’s primary activities for the 30 Minutes a Month program. We offer one primary activity each month, as well as some high-impact standing activities. You can decide whether to complete the monthly primary activity or one of the standing activities.
Once you have completed your activity, you must submit it via our online form or via email. Your monthly activity is not considered complete unless a submission notification is received. Please make sure you have signed up as a member before submitting your first activity.
You'll receive more details on each activity in the monthly activity announcement email, which is sent to all members.
| Month | Activity |
| November | Join our digital student and alumni community WidenerCONNECT and join the group "30 Minutes a Month." If already a member of WidenerCONNECT, join the group and say hi to fellow participants! Additionally, the group is the ideal space to meet other 30 Minutes a Month participants and network with alumni who are also engaged in supporting students and fellow alumni. |
| December | Share your thoughts on what being an alumnus of Widener and/or PMC means to you. What perks and programming do you feel would be valuable to the alumni community? |
| January | Write an alumni profile to show current and future students where their degrees and professional qualifications could take them in their careers. We ask that profiles be no more than 200 words and include an image of you. |
| February | Check out Widener's podcast, Far & Widener. Check out an episode then subscribe and/or write a review! |
| March | Sign up and participate in Mock Interviews, hosted by Career Design and Development. Help students gain valuable interview experience, in person or online via Zoom. |
| April | The semester is winding down, and students are preparing to graduate! Visit Widener’s Kudoboard and post positive messages welcoming the newest class of graduates! |
| May | Share advice and/or tips on seeking a mentor. What makes a great mentor? What are some tips to help if you’re new to mentoring? What advice would you share for mentees to consider or understand before they seek a mentor? Submit your advice via the online submission form. |
| June | Summer is often a time to relax and recharge. Whether it’s traveling to fascinating places, local landmarks, or finding a nice quiet beach or forest to enjoy nature or read a book. With summer upon us, share the places, practices and/or things you do that help you recharge and reset via our online submission form. Also, sign up for our Alumni Book Club and enjoy a great summer read! |
| July | Complete the 30 Minutes a Month closing survey. |
An activity is set for each month, see Monthly Activities above. If you don't want to complete a primary activity, you can choose to complete one of the standing activities below.
Once completed, please remember to submit the activity via our online form. All standing activities should take no longer than 30 minutes:
Tell us about your favorite professor or staff member, or even another influential figure or role model during your Widener journey. Answer the questions below, and submit them using our online form:
- What did you learn from this person?
- How did this person influence or inspire you?
- Can you describe a specific moment when they made a difference in your life?
- Are you still in touch with this person?
- Would you like to tell us anything else about this person?
Tell us a lesson you learned at Widener, Penn Morton, or Pennsylvania Military College, that did not come from a book, and submit your response via our online form. Some of the questions you may consider answering are:
- Describe the life lesson
- I learned this lesson by...
- That lesson helped me...
- Without learning this lesson, I would have never...
- Anything else?
Share your experiences about how you engaged with Widener services and extra-curricular activities when you were still a student. This could be any service or extracurricular at Widener, including:
Mentoring
Student Ambassador Programs
Career Design and Development
Scholarship Opportunities
Athletics
Greek life
Clubs & Societies, etc.
Study Away & Alternative Spring Break
Volunteer to write a post about one of the following topics:
- Updates about what's happening in your industry
- Insights about your job
- Insights about job opportunities in a particular region/state
- Your experience in navigating the job recruitment process
- Your experience in beginning a new role
Write a blog post: How is Artificial Intelligence (AI), or another emerging technology impacting your job or industry? To help you with this topic, we have listed some prompts below. Please share this blog post with us via our online form.
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) or automation has impacted my job or industry by...
- I believe that Artificial Intelligence (AI)/automation can be helpful in...
- I believe that the issues with Artificial Intelligence (AI)/automation include...
- My tips for using Artificial Intelligence (AI) or automation to the best advantage are...
- Anything else?
Write a blog post: Tell us about how you faced a challenging semester or subject. Answer the questions below and submit your answers via our online form:
- The most difficult subject or semester I experienced was...
- It was difficult because...
- I overcame it by...
- The biggest thing I learned from it was...
- Anything else?
Did you benefit from being a scholarship recipient while attending the University? In 4 to 6 sentences, share how this scholarship impacted your life and submit your response via our online form.
We invite you to post content in the WidenerCONNECT platform. This could be an article that you've written, a social media post, a presentation or video, or something interesting you've read or seen recently. Let us know once you've completed this activity via our online form.
Share a photo of your time at the University with us via email. Photo submissions could include:
- Commencement photos
- Study-group sessions
- Athletics
- Homecoming photos
- Student residence photos
- "A day in the life" photos
- Study Away or Alternative Spring Break
- Photos of you and your friends participating in extra-curricular activities
Reach out to your fellow Widener alumni and network and invite them to participate in the 30 Minutes a Month program. Or submit a list of names via our online form, and we can invite them on your behalf.
If you have other suggestions for an activity, please email us at alumnioffice@widener.edu with your name, class year, and suggested activity.
The 30 Minutes a Month activities have been created with your life and career experience in mind. We ask you to provide support, guidance, and strategies on how to navigate common challenges that students and/or new graduates face. Challenges like transitioning from education to a first job, doubts over one’s course of study, time management, and more.
Sharing your personal experience as a resource for lessons learned, wisdom gained, and insights into today’s working world are invaluable. There are also other opportunities to support Widener University initiatives and offerings.
| Months Completed | Reward(s) |
| 2 months | Widener Alumni pin & mini-pennant |
| 6 months | A pair of Widener Koozies |
| 9 months | Widener padfolio or special piece of swag! |
*Rewards are subject to change based on availability. PMC-branded rewards also available.
Other Benefits
Studies show that volunteerism can have positive effects on our own mental health and well-being. Helping others can reduce stress, improve mood, and increase happiness and self-esteem. All while assisting current students get the most out of their educational journey and help fellow alumni pursue career goals and/or transitions.
Grow Your Professional Network
Through activities like joining WidenerCONNECT and the "30 Minutes a Month Group," members can connect directly and be an even greater professional resource and sounding board for alumni and students!
Q: Do I have to complete the monthly primary activity?
A: No. You can pick either the monthly primary activity or one of the standing activities. Members, cannot, however, complete the same activity two months in a row.
Q: Can I complete all activities at once and submit them at the same time?
A: No. You can only complete and submit one 30-minute activity per month.
Q: What if I miss a month?
A: While we encourage consistent participation, we understand that life sometimes gets in the way and you may not be able to submit an activity during a given month. If you miss a month, please continue participating in the program and submit an activity the following month.
Q: When do I receive the rewards?
A: Members will receive rewards when they complete their two-month, six-month, and nine-month milestones.
Q: Can I register halfway through the program?
A: Yes, you may register to join the program at any time during the November through July cycle. You will, however, only submit activities for the months remaining in the cycle. For example, if you register for the program in April, you will submit activities for the months of April through July.
Get in Touch
If you have questions or would like more information on the program, please contact Marcus Bagby at mabagby@widener.edu.