The Center for Civic Engagement and Learning (CCEL) encourages students to break out of the bubble and get involved in the community beyond our campus borders.
By coordinating one-day and long-term volunteer opportunities, CCEL not only provides students with the chance to serve in the community, but also gain civic awareness and leadership skills.
Last weekend, CCEL, in partnership with the Office of Community Relations and the Office of Greek Life, held Saturday of Service. This day of service engaged the entire campus community with various projects on and off campus.
Some of the center’s other signature programs are:
- Alternative Breaks: Through these immersion programs, students can volunteer over their breaks from school and learn more about community issues. Over fall break and Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend, Weekend Cleveland Neighborhood Immersions are offered. Over spring break, students choose between two programs: “Beyond Orange is the New Black: Mass Incarceration in the U.S. to Detroit” and “Navigating Access, Integration, and Citizenship as New Americans to Columbus.” Students also can participate over May break.
- CCEL Serves: These weekly opportunities to get involved give students the chance to volunteer at local nonprofits. Some sites require that students commit to at least a full semester of service, while others are flexible and do not require a commitment.
- Civic Engagement Scholars: Students in this program commit to completing at least 50 hours of service during the academic year. At least 20 of those hours must be with one nonprofit, school or agency in the Cleveland area. Additionally, students attend programs to learn about community and social justice issues.
Through CCEL, students have made an impact on the community by working with such organizations as the Cleveland Food Bank, Wigs for Kids and the Animal Protective League.
Learn more about CCEL and the other service opportunities it offers for students at students.case.edu/departments/civicengagement/.