"Helping us by helping you": Pro bono consulting and graduate student training

In our commentary, we will advocate for integrating pro bono consulting into I-O graduate studies’ curricula. We consider pro bono consulting as a form of volunteering involving the free delivery of professional, I-O psychology services to stakeholders (e.g., Burbano et al., Reference Burbano, Mamer and Snyder2018). Although other volunteering activities (e.g., community service) have distinct developmental or altruistic benefits, we will argue here that pro bono consulting, if designed, implemented, and supported properly, provides valuable experiential learning opportunities for I-O graduate students. Tippins et al. (Reference Tippins, Hakel, Grabow, Kolmstetter, Moses, Oliver and Scontrino2023) provide case studies outlining the benefits of pro bono consulting not only for organizations receiving said services, but for practicing (nonstudent) I-O psychologists and for the I-O field as a whole. We will build on the authors’ call by discussing how pro bono consulting at the graduate school level, with the help of educational institutions and SIOP, can further propel these positive outcomes. We will expand upon (a) applications of pro bono consulting in graduate training; (b) their benefits for training future I-O psychologists; (c) their extended benefits for organizations, universities, and communities; and (d) practical steps for bringing pro bono opportunities to life on campus.