First-Year Student Outreach Project (FYSOP)
Interested in being a FYSOP Coordinator? Apply today!
FYSOP, or The First-Year Student Outreach Project, began in 1989. 2009 marked the 20th anniversary of FYSOP, and the program was bigger than ever before. Last summer, FYSOP 21 consisted of 1,000 first-year volunteers and over 200 plus staff members, coordinators and managers. FYSOP 21 volunteers donated over 20,000 hours of service to the Greater Boston area.
FYSOP offers incoming Boston University students a unique opportunity to get settled in their new community by performing a week of service before classes begin. Volunteers participate in a program orientation, a full day of education, and three full days of direct service in one of ten issue areas:
- Children
- Disabilities
- Elders
- Environment
- Gender Focus
- HIV/AIDS Awareness
- Homelessness & Housing
- Human Rights
- Hunger
- Urban Renewal
Volunteers are assigned to an issue area and a smaller FYSOP group, consisting of 10-15 first year students and led by 2-3 upperclassmen staff leaders. Issue areas are run by 2 coordinators. Participants make lasting friendships with their FYSOP group, learn about social issues in the greater Boston area, volunteer with non-profit organizations pertaining to their particular issue area and become acclimated to their new school.
For more information, contact Program Managers Austin Bay and Sasha Beskrowni at fysop@bu.edu.
