STUDENTS at the University of Exeter are joining thousands of others throughout the country to celebrate National Student Volunteering Week, which begins today.

Originally started in 2001 by Volunteering England, the week has now become an annual fixture in the student volunteering movement and the wider voluntary sector.

The theme for 2010 is 'Inspiring futures; connecting communities' and the week aims to highlight the benefits of student volunteering to the private, public and voluntary and community sectors.

Volunteering projects and recruitment events, organised by the University of Exeter's Community Action team, will run until Sunday.

The week, which celebrates the efforts of students who make an impact on their local community, includes regular projects running in local schools, on campus and with community organisations.

One of the highlights of the week will be a flagship event run by Community Action to celebrate International Mother Language Day.

The event aims to bring together international school pupils for a day of raising aspirations, boosting confidence and exploring cultural identity.

Pupils from St James School, Isca College of Media Arts and West Exe Technology College are taking part in the event, which is part of the Global Touch project.

The event pairs international student volunteers with international school pupils who have English as a second language.

International and home student volunteers are paired with children who speak the same language as them at secondary schools across the entire city.

Many of the children have recently moved to the UK and may speak very little English.

The volunteers will mentor them to support their language development and also to offer pastoral care and support with cultural and social issues.

The aim is to give the children the opportunity to meet other children in similar situations and discuss what it is like to be at school in the UK with English as a second language.

The project is designed to help children to feel like they are part of a community, and to have confidence in their cultural identity and in their own abilities and potential.

Volunteers are running arts and craft based activities, mentoring sessions and a tour of the campus.

Regular work carried out by university volunteers includes Monday Xpress, where students work with children with learning or behavioural difficulties at the university.

Volunteers also run activities for older people living in sheltered accommodation in a project called Switch at Eaton House in Heavitree.

They provide activities for young carers in a project called Active Children in Exeter and work on conservation projects in Devon with Footprints.

Students also run an after school club once a week during term time in a project called Students Achieve More, at Stoke Hill Junior School.

They help children with their homework and take part in art and craft activities to give them confidence and encourage creativity.