Bates College (USA)

Bates College is a private liberal arts college in Lewiston, Maine. Founded in 1855 as Maine State Seminary by abolitionist Free Will Baptists, the institution was renamed Bates College in 1863, graduated its first female student in 1869, and became non-sectarian. Bates has always valued having a student body from diverse racial, ethnic, and religious backgrounds. Bates now enrolls just over 1700 students. Bates College’s website>>

Harward Center for Community Partnerships

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 US to receive the Carnegie Foundation’s Community Engagement Classification for both its curriculum and its outreach and partnership programs. Bates College’s community engagement work is coordinated by the Harward Center for Community Partnerships, which partners with more than 125 community organizations, from schools and cultural institutions to nonprofit organizations. The center is comprised of four programmatic areas: the Community-Based Learning Program, the Community Volunteerism and Student Leadership Development Program, the Bates – Morse Mountain Conservation Area and Shortridge Coastal Center, and the Events Management office. Learn more>>

Community-Based Learning Program

The Community-Based Learning Program helps students and faculty integrate service into their academic work. The CBL program builds partnerships among students, faculty and community organizations in which all parties serve, learn and teach. Community-based learning takes place through a variety of venues at the College. It can be found in many of the courses offered at the College, in much of the research that students undertake, in independent study courses that students design, and/or in senior thesis work. Most CBL courses offer students options that encourage them to explore individual interests and make interdisciplinary connections. Learn more>>

Community Volunteerism and Student Leadership Development Program

The Bates College Volunteer Program is run by seven Student Volunteer Fellows (SVFs) who work with the volunteer program coordinator to provide many different opportunities throughout the year. Students can volunteer on a regular basis (mentoring, helping at a soup kitchen) or take part in a one-time activity. They can volunteer on their own or work with a group of friends, fellow club members, or teammates. The Volunteer Program will help students find an established program to work in, but it also welcomes and supports new ideas for service projects. Volunteer Service Grants are available through this office to support student service projects. Learn more>>

Bonner Leader Program

The Bonner Leader Program is supported both by the Harward Center and the Bonner Foundation, the national organization that oversees the eighty Bonner programs around the United States. The Program’s goals are to promote opportunities for student development, learning, and engagement by providing students financial and programmatic support to participate in individual and group community-based work, orientation, training, and reflection. Bonner Scholars spend 6 hours each week working with community partners and also spend time as a group reflecting on experiences and participating in trainings to develop personal and leadership skills. Learn more>>