At Grinnell, students can explore various ways to positively impact their communities—personally, professionally, and civically. Housed in the Center for Careers, Life, and Service (CLS), the Civic Education and Innovation (CEI) team works with campus and community partners to provide students with community-engaged learning opportunities that help them become thoughtful, active participants in civic life. Through real-world collaboration and continual reflection, students connect their values, identities, and academic interests to meaningful civic action. CEI supports students in seeing their individual efforts as part of broader movements for systemic change, cultivating a lifelong commitment to civic collaboration and community wellbeing.
Civic Activity at Grinnell
News & Advice
By Tim Schmitt, Sep 29, 2025
When Tristan Davis ’25 first visited Grinnell College, it was the small classes and close faculty relationships that drew him in. But what he found in his four years as a student extended well …
2025 Program Overview
Location: Grinnell, Iowa
Program Type: Volunteer / Community-Engaged Civic & Professional Learning
Duration: May 27 – August 1, 2025
Number of Positions: 3
Program Description
The Grinnell Summer of Service is a 10-week, cohort-based, immersive civic and professional learning program that …
Grinnell College, April 29, 2025
Tanner Alger ’25 is currently working with the College’s inaugural Social Innovator in Residence, Monica Sanders and members of the greater Grinnell Community on a project that seeks to better map digital access disparities in …


