Get Involved with MaryPIRG Today!
This semester we're working to accomplish a lot and we need help! Fill out the form to the left to find out more about getting involved through volunteer and leadership opportunities with MaryPIRG.
Make Textbooks More Affordable: Help us lead the way in exposing publisher's practices that rip off students, and advocate for free, open textbooks as a long-term solution to the high price of textbooks. We can save students a ton of money, and put the heat on publishers to make textbooks affordable.
Hunger & Homelessness: Many Americans are living on the edge, forced to choose between basic necessities like purchasing food, paying rent, or going to the doctor. Poverty isn’t exclusive to any one community. Even college campuses are not immune. Our latest research suggests that one in five students may currently experience hunger. As students, we have the ideas, solutions and resources to make change – and by joining together, we can end hunger and homelessness.
Save the Bay: Whether you’ve lived in Maryland your entire life, or just arrived this year, it’s easy to see how important the Chesapeake Bay is to our way of life here. There are an estimated 35 thousand tons of microplastics that have filtered into our oceans -- you may have heard of the huge “garbage islands” floating out at sea. Styrofoam takes 500 years or more to fully break down, and is typically only used for a single day. We need to phase out styrofoam as soon as possible for the sake of the Chesapeake Bay. Cheap alternatives exist, but we need to demonstrate wide, public support to get the state legislature on our side. We'll also be continuing work spreading awareness about other plastic pollutants like Solo Cups.
Better Labor Conditions, Better Wages: UMD pays many of our fellow student workers the state minimum wage instead of the PG County minimum wage (a difference of $1.40 per hour). This year, UMD staff said that they were barred from speaking Spanish on breaks and didn't receive protective equipment or trainings to handle toxic mold clean-up. We're working closely with UMD's worker union (AFSCME), student workers, and student groups to unify students and staff to collectively improve labor conditions at UMD.
Social Work for UMD students: Speaking with students directly to learn their needs, wants, and struggles. We'll ask for their contact info, research, and then contact them with info and connections to help solve their problems and meet their needs and wants. 1-to-1 social service.
Social Work for UMD students: Speaking with students directly to learn their needs, wants, and struggles. We'll ask for their contact info, research, and then contact them with info and connections to help solve their problems and meet their needs and wants. 1-to-1 social service.
You can have a huge impact by joining our team by volunteering, taking on leadership, or doing an internship for course credit. Whether you have 10 hours a week or 10 hours the whole semester we’ve got ways for you to help! We also have full time career opportunities if you’re interested in making a career out of activism. Check the career box to learn more about that.
By providing my contact information, I am consenting to have the Maryland PIRG Students, Student PIRGs, and their affiliates contact me with information about this and future campaigns.
