There are many opportunities for students to integrate community service with their academic learning:
Every semester faculty across the campus offer service-learning courses fulfilling General Education or major requirements. Additional courses (called Community Based Learning courses) are offered by our partner colleges in the Five College consortium.
CESL runs four programs that can involve students over multiple semesters:
- IMPACT! is a Residential Academic Program (RAP) for first-year students.
- The Citizen Scholars Program is a two-year service-learning and leadership development program.
- The Boltwood Project is a program that connects students to people with disabilities, partnering with 12 local community organizations.
- The UMass Alliance for Community Transformation (UACT) is a Curricular Alternative Spring Break run in collaboration with the Department of Anthropology.
Other programs include Student Bridges, a year-long program of tutoring and mentoring, and TEAMS, a tutoring program for both undergraduates and graduate students run by Bob Maloy and Sharon Edwards in the School of Education.
Work in these courses and programs can be integrated and recognized through the new Certificate in Civic Education and Public Service or the track for a major in the Bachelor’s Degree with Individual Concentration (BDIC), Civic Engagement + X or CivX. The CivX major combines a curriculum in civic engagement with a set of service-learning courses and a set of courses chosen by each student to represent the “X Factor”—her or his own particular interest or passion.
Students seeking to volunteer outside of a service-learning course can find volunteer opportunities through three websites:
Students are welcome to come by the Civic Engagement and Service-Learning office, 610 Goodell, between 9:00 and 5:00 Monday through Friday to learn more about these opportunities.
