Volunteers form the backbone of a community enrichment series offered by Global Campus Professional and Workforce Development at the U of A. In April, which is designated National Volunteer Month, the division is looking for new ways to partner with individuals to share their business and industry skills and insights for the RazorLearn series.

National Volunteer Month was designated to recognize and celebrate the contributions of volunteers in all aspects of society. The RazorLearn program helps provide an avenue and first step for volunteers from across the region and state to engage with their local communities.

"We are extremely fortunate to have an abundance of industry leaders and subject matter experts in Northwest Arkansas to help lead this effort," said Grant Brewer, director of Professional and Workforce Development. "The RazorLearn program allows leaders to donate to their community by sharing their time and expertise to help inspire, teach and encourage individuals with a range of topics from various fields. Building on past success of this program, we hope to support individuals from the region and across the state, in a true neighbor-helping-neighbor fashion."

Northwest Arkansas industry experts have taught courses since the RazorLearn program's launch in 2023 covering topics from retail operations to mental health. Other courses cover technology, creative arts and personal development. More than 350 people have registered for free RazorLearn courses to date.

The program is accepting course proposals now for this year's programming. More information is available on the RazorLearn website. Courses can take place over multiple sessions or as a one-time lecture. The website describes the process of developing a course and the support available from Global Campus. Volunteers can teach online or meet their students in person at the Collaborative facility in downtown Bentonville.

Titles of some previous courses include:

• Setting Healthy Boundaries in Mental Health
• Tame the Tension, Build the Bridge: Unlocking Collaboration through Conflict Resolution
• Challenges for Retailers and Consumer Brands Today
• The Power of Influence - Getting Your Product to Market
• Big Leadership for Small Nonprofits
• How to Implement AI Into Your Business - Improve Productivity, Performance and Profitability

U of A Professional and Workforce Development, based at the Collaborative in Bentonville, offers other courses for a fee taught by university faculty, industry experts and experienced instructors. Courses are designed to help individuals advance their careers or start a new one, as well as to serve the needs of local employers, filling skills gaps and boosting productivity.