At Grinnell College we are committed to providing civic learning opportunities that equip students to become equity-minded and innovative civic agents. During their time at Grinnell, students are encouraged to discern, explore, and assess what their civic role might be in any given setting. Our approach acknowledges that constructive change-making necessitates the filling of many interlaced roles. Some volunteer to make small changes or meet immediate needs. Some make concrete plans for others or manage projects. Some analyze situations or systems. Some take on activist, ally, or advocacy roles, and yet others work to create more equitable systems altogether. Our ecosystem of advising and experiential learning opportunities encourages students to explore and experience while remaining conscious of the impact of the intersections between their community context, their positionality, and their evolving civic interests and capacity.
Harvard Office of the VPAL, Tuesday, March 22, 2022
Academics and researchers, especially at institutions such as Harvard, are often viewed as disconnected from the real world, studying esoteric questions that are distant (if not irrelevant) to policy, practice, and …
Volunteering might evoke images of soup kitchens, beach cleanups and fundraising galas. But the truth is, there are a whole lot more ways to volunteer! So many, in fact, that it can feel overwhelming …