Connecting students and community
For 30 years, UTS Shopfront has connected community organisations with the skills, knowledge and energy of UTS students.
Established in 1996 and based within the UTS Centre for Social Justice and Inclusion, Shopfront is a community-engaged learning program that partners with not-for-profit organisations and social enterprises to tackle real-world challenges through student coursework. Since its inception, the program has facilitated more than 1698 projects for over 1199 community organisations and supported an additional 231,927 hours of student volunteering (as of May 2026).
At Shopfront, community organisations identify the projects that matter most to them. We then connect those organisations with students, academics and disciplines that can help bring those ideas to life.
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A different way to partner with a university
Community organisations play a vital role in creating a fairer, more sustainable and connected society. Yet many face growing demand for services while working with limited funding, resources and staff capacity.
Shopfront helps address this challenge by connecting organisations with the expertise and resources of the university.
Through coursework projects, students apply their learning to real organisational priorities. Community partners gain access to research, strategy, design, communications, business, software design and other discipline expertise that may otherwise be difficult to access.
Unlike traditional university projects, the work starts with community. Organisations identify the challenge, opportunity or idea they want to explore, and Shopfront works with academics to create projects that align community needs with student learning outcomes.
This approach helps ensure that every project is relevant, practical and valuable to the organisation involved.
The result is a partnership model that strengthens organisations, enriches student learning and creates positive social impact.
How Shopfront works
Shopfront partners with community organisations across a wide range of social and environmental issues.
The process begins when an organisation identifies a project or challenge that would benefit from student involvement.
Working closely with community partners and academics, Shopfront helps shape project briefs that are achievable within a university semester and aligned with coursework requirements.
Students then work in teams as external consultants, applying the skills they are developing through their studies to respond to real organisational needs.
Throughout the project, students are supported by academic staff, community partners and the Shopfront team. Community organisations remain active participants, providing feedback, sharing expertise and helping guide project outcomes.
Projects generally run during Autumn and Spring sessions and are completed over approximately 12 weeks. Students also undertake learning activities that explore social issues, ethical engagement and cultural humility, helping prepare them for meaningful work in the community sector and beyond.
Looking for support for your organisation?
Learn how to submit a project proposal on our Work with Shopfront page.
What makes Shopfront different
Benefits for community organisations
Partnering with Shopfront can help organisations:
- access skilled student teams at no cost
- build organisational capacity
- undertake projects that may otherwise be difficult to resource
- explore new ideas and approaches
- connect with university expertise
- develop practical resources, strategies, research and recommendations
- contribute to the learning and development of future graduates.
We work with a diverse range of organisations, from small-to-medium community-based organisations, not-for-profits and social enterprises
Benefits for students
Shopfront gives students the opportunity to apply classroom learning to real-world challenges while contributing to positive social change.
Students build professional skills in areas such as communication, teamwork, project management and stakeholder engagement, and develop a deeper understanding of contemporary social issues and the important role community organisations play in addressing them. They also engage in critical learning content that prepare them to work effectively alongside diverse communities, while encouraging reflection on their own positionality, assumptions, and perspectives.
By connecting learning with purpose, Shopfront helps students graduate as skilled professionals who are engaged in their communities and ready to make a meaningful contribution.
Creating impact together
Over three decades, Shopfront projects have helped organisations strengthen services, build organisational capacity and increase their impact.
The projects are diverse, but all share a common goal: helping organisations better serve their communities.
Students working with the HIV/AIDS Legal Centre (NSW) produced research that supported the representation of LGBTQIA+ asylum seekers in proceedings before the Administrative Appeals Tribunal and Federal Court.
Students partnered with Glebe Youth Service to design a music program that helps young people experiencing vulnerability develop technical and life skills.
Working with Boxhead Plastics, students helped develop marketing materials that contributed to significant organisational growth and increased plastic waste diversion from landfill.
These examples demonstrate the many ways student projects can contribute to stronger organisations and stronger communities.
Work with Shopfront
If you're a not-for-profit or social enterprise looking for support on a project, we'd love to hear from you.