Learning through good works, partnership, participation

For many students, community engagement is an essential part of the educational experience at Bates. Each year one-third of Bates students take community-based learning courses that integrate community projects with academic learning.

Bates was one of the first schools in the nation to receive the Carnegie Foundation’s Community Engagement Classification for both its curriculum and its outreach and partnership programs.

Students pursue opportunities in community-based learning, volunteerism and environmental stewardship through the Harward Center for Community Partnerships.

The center partners with more than 125 community organizations, from schools and cultural institutions to nonprofit organizations. Students may apply for short- and long-term grants to pursue community-based research and work-study.

Paid student volunteer fellows coordinate the Harward Center’s robust volunteer programs. Each year, two-thirds of Bates students work in the community, mentoring schoolchildren, planting community gardens, supporting seniors in assisted living, or monitoring invasive species.

During the past three academic years, the number of student community-based learning hours via coursework increased over 20%. The number of students participating in community-based learning increased over 26%. The number of community partners increased by 40%.

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