Community engagement is core to the Bates experience. Students routinely integrate off-campus experiences into their academic courses and research, athletics, clubs, residence life, paid employment, arts activities, and free time. More than 100 off-campus organizations and community partners welcome Bates students to join their efforts, and many students find that getting involved off campus is a great way to grow their knowledge, skills, mentor network, and future opportunities.

The Harward Center for Community Partnerships is the Bates hub for off-campus involvement. We help you learn about your new home away from home, introduce you to a wide range of local opportunities, and help you prepare for principled, mutually beneficial involvement in the off-campus community. To help you get involved, we provide a running list of local volunteer opportunities, transportation to community engagement sites, friendly staff members to sit down with you to talk about your interests, several student leadership and electoral engagement programs, and a range of grants and paid positions. We also offer a General Education Concentration and a research fellowship for students who want to make community engagement central to their academic work.

No matter what your interests, skills, and identities are, the Harward Center is here to help you weave community engagement into your Bates experience. For some specific examples, check out our blog.