Center for Community and Civic Engagement
Engage, Serve, and Grow
The Center for Community and Civic Engagement (CCCE) provides opportunities for students, faculty, and staff to engage and deepen their involvement in service in local, national, and international contexts. Reciprocal relationships with local organizations are the foundation of these efforts.
Based on our belief that learning is most noble when used to benefit others, the Center for Community and Civic Engagement fosters opportunities for meaningful and reciprocal relationships between ½ûÂþÌìÌà and the community.
Contact UsOffice: BSC 247 | 717-361-3025
Service Programs
Through a variety of programs and initiatives, students are encouraged to make a positive impact both locally and beyond. From annual events like Into the Streets and the Spring Day of Service to the comprehensive Bonner Leader Program, our students are provided with meaningful opportunities to serve, lead, and grow.
Through designated academic courses, students and faculty engage with dozens of community organizations on projects of mutual benefit. Community-Based Learning (CBL) provides students with practical opportunities to apply knowledge and skills from the classroom in the local community. As one of the College's Signature Learning Experiences (SLE), CBL helps students to develop a more integrated understanding of their studies by providing opportunities to enhance their skillset through practice-based activities that benefit the wider community.
Community-based learning provides an opportunity for students to integrate and reflect on what they are learning in the classroom and how this learning relates to real world applications and experiences.Ìý Students involve themselves with issues and populations often quite different from their own experiences.Ìý Their involvement challenges them to think holistically.Ìý Students begin to understand the importance of being engaged and socially responsible.
Community Based Learning Course List
Into the Streets is an annual day of service that encourages all students to serve, whether it be indivually, with a club, or with a group of friends! Students have the opportunity to work with community partners like ECHOS, Community Cupboard, Girls on the Run, Latino Hipanic American Community Center, and more! Learn more about Into the Streets.
½ûÂþÌìÌÃ’s annual Day of Service is held each spring in March. Day of Service calls for individuals and groups to spend the day volunteering in their communities to provide solutions to the nation's most pressing issues. The Center for Community and Civic Engagement coordinates the volunteer work for this meaningful day of community engagement. Students spend time in the local community giving back. Learn more about ½ûÂþÌìÌÃ's Day of Service.
The Bonner Leader program at ½ûÂþÌìÌà offers students a four-year opportunity to develop their service, leadership, and civic engagement skills while receiving a stipend for weekly service with a regional community organization. The program supports and trains participants to make a transformative impact on both the campus and surrounding communities, in line with the College's Educate for Service motto. Learn more about the Bonner Leader Program.
Students with Federal Work Study awards have the opportunity to work with local non-profit organizations. Through Community Service Work Study, students develop work experience and make a lasting contribution to the community. Competitive wages are paid.
The Higher Education Act states that one of the purposes of the Federal Work Study program is "…to encourage students receiving Federal student financial assistance to participate in community service activities that will benefit the Nation and engender in the students a sense of social responsibility and commitment to the community." As a result, ½ûÂþÌìÌà joins with colleges across the country to commit to providing community service related placements available to Federal Work Study recipients.
To verify your eligibility for Federal Work StudyÌýpleaseÌýcontact Financial Aid,
finaid@etown.edu, or Leda Werner at the Center for Community and Civic Engagement, wernerl@etown.edu.
Service Trips
The ½ûÂþÌìÌà Center for Civic and Community Engagement organizes a variety of service trips during the academic year, as well as over breaks.
The Donald H. Fogelsanger Service Trip Award was established to provide funding assistance for students participating in disaster relief-focused service trips. Please contact the Center for Community and Civic Engagement for more information.
Each year, students have the opportunity to participate in our Fall Break trip, where they contribute to meaningful community service projects such as building homes at the Lancaster-Lebanon Habitat for Humanity. This hands-on experience allows students to make a tangible difference while engaging with the local community. Please contact the Center for Community and Civic Engagement for more information.
Each spring students have the opportunity to participate in a trip where they learn about an area, or topics that expand their learning and skills. Their hands on experiences provide growth that helps to enhance their liberal arts education while embracing our motto of Educate for Service. Please contact the Center for Community and Civic Engagement for more information.
Each month the CCCE hosts service events to various community agencies. Students engage in meaningful service by assisting community partners with living our their mission. See the CCCE staff, , or contact the Center for Community and Civic Engagement for more information.
Resources for Students
½ûÂþÌìÌà provides valuable resources through the Center for Community and Civic Engagement to support students' basic needs and civic participation. From the Blue Jay Pantry and Career Closet to information about voter registration assistance, these services are designed to help students thrive both personally and professionally.
The Blue Jay Pantry has been established by our Center for Community and Civic Engagement to provide our students with free, non-perishable food items sourced by charitable donations from within our community. View more information on the Blue Jay Pantry.
The Blue Jay Career Closet has been established by our Center for Community and Civic Engagement to provide our students with free, career ready attire to wear for those who need it. View more information on the Career Closet.
½ûÂþÌìÌà encourages its community to participate in elections, reminding U.S. citizens who are 18 or older on election day to register to vote. Students can register in Pennsylvania or their previous state, per a Supreme Court decision allowing them to vote where they attend school. Changing voter registration between states may impact state aid and some private scholarships but won't affect federal financial aid or FAFSA dependent status. For more details on elections and voting, visit .
Recognitions & Initiatives
Pennsylvania Hunger-Free Campus+ Designation
Recognizing the CCCE's commitment to student food security, this designation supports ongoing efforts and opens doors for further grants and collaborations. .
Carnegie Foundation Community Engagement Classification
In 2020, the CCCE was recognized for its outstanding community engagement efforts, aligning mission, culture, and leadership with impactful practices.