College Volunteering
Make a Difference on Campus
Bring smiles to pediatric patients
Project Sunshine college volunteers deliver play and activities to children in need of socialization and human connection to help them cope while they are dealing with medical challenges. Play allows children to learn, explore, and it enables them to heal.

Why Volunteer?
As a college volunteer, you will be able to:

Gain experience in a hospital setting

Engage in service opportunities

Develop leadership experience

Utilize our stream-lined volunteer application process

Access to our network of medical partners

College Chapter Locations
Project Sunshine has active college chapters on over 75 campuses across 25 states nationwide. Chapters participate in volunteer program activities, organize events, and fundraise on campus to support Project Sunshine’s mission.

View all college chapters
AlabamaUniversity of Alabama at Birmingham ArizonaArizona State University University of Arizona CaliforniaCalifornia Polytechnic State University Pomona College San Diego State University University of California Berkeley University of California Los Angeles University of California Riverside-School of Medicine University of Southern California ConnectivutUniversity of Connecticut District of ColumbiaGeorgetown University DelawareUniversity of Delaware FloridaFlorida International University Nova Southeastern University University of Florida University of Miami |
GeorgiaUniversity of Georgia IllinoisIllinois Institute of Technology Northwestern University University of Illinois at Chicago KentuckyUniversity of Louisville MassachusettsBoston College Boston University Brandeis University Harvard University Massachusetts Institute of Technology Northeastern University Tufts University MarylandUniversity of Maryland College Park MichiganMichigan State University University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Campus MaineBowdoin College MisouriWashington University in St. Louis North CarolinaDuke University |
NebraskaCreighton University New JerseyRutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School Rutgers University Seton Hall University New YorkBarnard College CUNY Brooklyn College CUNY Hunter College CUNY Lehman College Fordham University Hofstra University New York University-New York Campus Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute St. John's University St. Joseph's College New York SUNY Stony Brook University SUNY University at Albany SUNY University at Buffalo-Jacob School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences Vassar College Wagner College Yeshiva University |
OhioCase Western Reserve University Ohio State University PennsylvaniaImmaculata University Penn State University Saint Joseph's University University of Pennsylvania University of Pittsburgh TennesseeEast Tennessee State University Vanderbilt University TexasUniversity of Texas at San Antonio Baylor University Rice University Southern Methodist University Texas State University University of Texas at Austin UtahBrigham Young University WashingtonUniversity of Washington-Seattle Campus WisconsinEdgewood College University of Wisconsin-Madison |
If you don't see your college above, contact us at college@projectsunshine.org about establishing a Project Sunshine Chapter at your college.
Volunteer Opportunities

Here To Play
Equipped with arts and crafts activities, volunteers facilitate play sessions with pediatric patients in medical facilities.These activities contain developmentally appropriate materials and instructions, while encouraging self-expression and imagination for the children. In addition to our comprehensive training, volunteers complete hospital-specific clearance processes.

Teleplay
Volunteers deliver a live, interactive play experience over video conference using HIPAA-compliant technology. Teleplay connects isolated children to one another, and is available to any child facing medical challenges, whether at home or at the hospital. Volunteer play developmentally appropriate games and activities, increasing joy and emotional relief.

Sending Sunshine
Volunteers assemble our activity kits to be sent directly to pediatric patients. Project Sunshine activity kits are designed by child life specialists, and developed in partnership with pediatric healthcare experts. These kits contain materials that provide therapeutic value to the emotional and physical healing process.

Fundraising
Fundraising for Project Sunshine is a great way to support our causes and initiatives domestically and internationally. Contact us for further details.

Here To Play
- Volunteers play and interact with children, families, and medical facility staff at a local hospital.
- Project Sunshine provides volunteers and medical staff with themed arts and crafts materials that are shipped directly to the medical facility.
- Here To Play sessions can be held in a hospital play room for larger group activities or at bedside for one-to-one patient-volunteer interaction.
- Each session lasts about 2 hours.

Kits for Play
- Volunteers gather as a group to assemble our activity kits that will be sent directly to pediatric patients.
- Project Sunshine activity kits contain arts and crafts materials for children to use and play with during their hospital stay.
- Project Sunshine sends all the materials you need to pack activity kits to your chapter.
- In one hour, you can pack 100 kits for 100 children!

TelePlay
- Volunteers facilitate a 1-2 hour virtual play session on a secure and HIPPAA-compliant Zoom call with a small group of children.
- Project Sunshine provides a Game Library for you to pick activities from, a PowerPoint template, and script to help facilitate the session.
Here to Play brings a group of local volunteers to your facility dressed in yellow Project Sunshine t-shirts, equipped with creative arts and crafts materials to the unit of your choice. In addition to our comprehensive training, our volunteers will go through any additional hospital required clearance process and can provide proof of COVID and Flu vaccinations. You select the frequency, date/time, and our volunteers will handle the rest!
Project Sunshine’s TelePlay program is a live play experience, using a HIPAA compliant technology platform. TelePlay provides developmentally appropriate, engaging activities and games led by volunteers, including skilled volunteers like artists and musicians, and is open to any child facing medical challenges in or out of the hospital.
Project Sunshine activity kits deliver safe, creative play directly to children. The materials spark joy and provide therapeutic value to the physical and emotional healing process. Each year, we send out close to 100,000 activity kits to medical facilities all around the US and Canada. Our partners distribute the activity kits to patients in areas like pediatric wards, emergency rooms, clinic waiting rooms. Activity kits are assembled by tens of thousands of volunteers who understand the importance of play for pediatric patients.
How to Become a Volunteer
We are committed to making the training accessible and time manageable to you, our volunteers, while also ensuring that you are well-prepared to engage with an important and vulnerable population. Here is what to expect from the college volunteer application process:
Apply Now
College Volunteer Application
Thank you for your interest in becoming a Project Sunshine college volunteer! After you have completed the application below, you will receive an email with a link to register for an upcoming volunteer training. If you do not receive that email or have any questions, please email college@projectsunshine.org.
FAQ
What do college chapter volunteers do?
College Chapter volunteers have several opportunities to support Project Sunshine’s mission. They facilitate play sessions in hospitals and virtually, pack activity kits on campus, and organize fundraising events.
Does each chapter have a fundraising minimum?
College chapters are required to meet a $500 fundraising goal each year.
How often do chapters pack activity kits and how would my chapter request Sending Sunshine Kits for Play?
College Chapters are required to host two kit packing events per year, one per semester, though many chapters host more. Chapter Leaders can access an order form through a unique URL found in their Salesforce account details tab.
Can I reach out directly to a local medical facility to initiate a partnership?
Project Sunshine will conduct outreach and develop partnerships with medical facilities to ensure consistency and accountability. If you have a contact at a medical facility you want to partner with, please fill out this form.
What is the minimum commitment for Chapter Leaders to serve?
What resources are provided to Project Sunshine Chapter Leaders?
- Support from headquarters and trainings
- Technology Applications: Microsoft Office 365, Salesforce, Zoom
- Program and marketing materials
- Professional development opportunities
- Access to a network of over 75+ college chapters across the country
How do I learn more about the College Volunteer Program?
Don’t hesitate to contact us with any other questions. In your email, please be sure to provide your name, school, and location.
I am a new volunteer. Will I receive training?
You got it! All of Project Sunshine’s volunteers are trained by staff or trained Chapter Leaders. Following the submission of your application you will be prompted to sign up for a New Volunteer Training which can last 45-60 minutes. Following the training, you will watch a 30-minute Engagement Video and complete a 12-question quiz. After you’ve passed the quiz, your Chapter Leader will reach out within two weeks. If you have not received communication from them, please reach out to us at college@projectsunshine.org.
How can Greek & Student organizations support Project Sunshine?
Fundraising for Project Sunshine is a great way to support our causes and initiatives domestically and internationally. If you would like to fundraise for us, please contact us at college@projectsunshine.org.
You can also volunteer through our Here To Play, Teleplay, and Kits for Play programs by collaborating with a college or community chapter. Please contact us at college@projectsunshine.org for more information.