Be The Impact Challenge

A student cleans up a garden at Peaceprints in Buffalo, NY as part of UB Pride and Service Day.

Complete 500 hours of service while attending UB and receive a recognition cord for you to show off at graduation.

Rise to the Challenge

Be The Impact Challenge is a call to UB students to get involved in the Buffalo community before they graduate from college. For students who complete 500 or more hours of volunteer work at UB or in the surrounding Buffalo community, the Student Engagement office offers recognition cords to acknowledge the dedication these students have to giving back to others.

To get recognized through the Be The Impact Challenge:

  1. Add all of your service hours on UBLinked (How do I enter these hours?).
  2. Complete 500 or more approved hours of community service before you graduate.
  3. Participate in a 30-minute reflection with a member of the Community and Civic Engagement team to receive your cord.

What Counts for the Challenge?

Community service hours entered into UBLinked will be approved for the Be The Impact Challenge if they meet at least one or more of the following criteria:

  • Participate in any service event organized by Student Engagement
  • Volunteer with a community organization
  • Volunteer with a campus event
  • Complete an unpaid internship for which you don’t receive credit
  • Do a service project with your student organization
  • Help your student organization plan an event that helps a community organization
  • Participate in an Alternative Break trip
  • Fundraise for a community organization
  • Conduct service hours as a part certificate program
  • Complete a service-learning experience

If you aren’t sure if your activities will count as service, let us know! We are happy to provide guidance on what activities or service opportunities will count towards this experience.

Contact the Student Engagement office  Use our contact form to contact staff in the Student Engagement office with questions about the Be The Impact Challenge.

Challenge Completed!

Have you completed 500 hours of volunteer work and are ready to finish the challenge? Submit your hours today! We encourage students to track their hours as they go, rather than trying to remember all of their service activities throughout the year.

Complete the Challenge  Apply to complete the challenge on UBLinked.

UBITName and password required

We recommend that students who are graduating in May, August, and December apply by April 1 in the spring before they intend to graduate to ensure that their application is reviewed in time for the distribution of cords. These cords are typically given to students at the Pillars of Leadership Award Ceremony at the end of April each year.

For more services and opportunities like this:

Student Engagement

Student Life

University at Buffalo
150 Student Union, North Campus
Buffalo, NY 14260
Email: Contact form

Phone: (716) 645-6469