Nearly 50 nonprofit organizations will be at today’s annual career fair at Corwin Pavilion from 12 to 4 p.m. to discuss career, internship and volunteer opportunities.

The CARE Expo is sponsored by the Associated Students Community Affairs Board and Career Services and offers networking opportunities in addition to information about the benefits of community involvement. A free panel and workshop provided by the Peace Corps, Americorps and City Year will follow the fair from 4 to 5 p.m. in Career Services 1109.

Career Services Events Coordinator Diego Padilla said this year’s exposition will yield the highest student and organization turnout in the event’s two-year history.

“Last year’s expo fair was quite successful,” Padilla said. “We had about 31 employers come to that event and I think about 400 students. This year we are actually seeing an additional 12 groups signed up. We’re expecting over 500 students at this event.”

C.A.B. Community Outreach Coordinator Daniel Griffiths said the growth in participating organizations will benefit today’s attendees.

“We have been able to double the size of the organizations attending, which will allow students a greater access to a diverse group of local nonprofits,” Griffiths said.

City Year Los Angeles — an Americorps organization that attended last year’s fair — is among the groups that will be available at today’s event. Students that volunteer with the 10-month program work with elementary and middle schools from areas in Los Angeles with high student dropout rates.

Other attending organizations include American Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity of Southern Santa Barbara County, Foodbank and Girl Scouts of California’s Central Coast.

Padilla said the array of representatives will help students explore their passion in the nonprofit sector.

“It will be a great opportunity for students who are really interested in finding nonprofit work with organizations that are here ranging from animal rights groups to local groups working in children’s education to groups working with the elderly,” Padilla said.

The fair is open to students, faculty and the general public. For a complete list of the organizations at today’s fair, visit the UCSB Career Services website at ucsb-csm.symplicity.com.