MLK Jr. Day of Service
MLK Jr. Day of Service 2026 will be Monday, January 19!
Monday, January 19, 2026 is Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day - a day to honor the incredible legacy that Dr. King left on the world. Because the university is closed, it may be tempting to stay at home and finish binge watching your favorite show. Instead, challenge yourself to do as Dr. King would and serve your community. Dr. King once said, “The time is always right to do the right thing.” What better way to honor that sentiment than by making a day off a day on?
On this holiday, Pay It Forward, a student cohort within the Office of Student Life dedicated to service, organizes a Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service each year for Ohio State students. Whether you volunteer together with your student organization, a group of friends, or want to get involved individually, all undergraduate, graduate, and professional students are invited to join Pay It Forward to honor MLK Jr. by giving back and engaging in a morning of community service.
Students will have the opportunity to participate in 3 hours of community service with a local nonprofit in a variety of community issues, such as homeless/houseless citizen support, mental health advocacy, healthy food access, child welfare, and support for our frontline workers. These service opportunities will take place both on and off campus. If you are assigned to an off campus site, buses will be provided. Site assignment will take place when you arrive. All volunteer assignments will take place inside, but please come dressed and prepared for cold weather.
More information about Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service 2026 will be available in October 2025. Check back on this page for updates!
Are you looking to serve as an individual?
We are so excited to have you join us as an individual at MLK Jr. Day of Service! There will be no pre-registration for individuals - registration will begin the day of at 9:30 a.m. at the Ohio Union.
Are you looking to register your organization or group to serve together?
Thank you for your interest in volunteering for MLK Dat of Service! More information about group volunteer opportunities will be available in December 2025.
Do you want volunteer to be a site leader?
Site Leaders are volunteering students who serve as peer leaders and liasons for the MLK Jr. Day of Service team for the day of the event. Site Leaders help to ensure a successful service engagement by reaching out to the MLK Jr. Day of Service team in the event of any troubleshooting needs and provide energy and enthusiasm to fellow students for the day of service. Site Leaders will receive a Starbucks gift card as a thank you for going above and beyond! All site leaders must be actively enrolled Ohio State students in order to participate as a site leader and to recieve their gift card.
Site Leader applications for MLK Day 2026 will be available in December 2025.
Are you an agency looking to participate?
We are excited to have you as an agency partner for MLK Jr. Day of Service! Agency partners can expect student volunteers to arrive between 10:45 - 11:15 a.m. and to leave between 1:45 - 2:00 p.m., for a total service time of approximately 3 hours.
Please note that for this event, we are prioritizing indoor projects due to concerns about winter weather. We cannot guarantee that we can accomodate service projects occurring outdoors. Please note that we are looking for opportunities for distanced service (which can be completed at the Ohio Union) as well as in-person service.
More information about hosting student volunteers for MLK Day of Service will be available in November 2025.
Questions?
Please email Kelsea Brown at brown.7928@buckeyemail.osu.edu.