Realizing Bard’s mission as a private college operating in the public interest.
The Center for Civic Engagement at Bard College coordinates a broad range of initiatives that connect students to internships, volunteer opportunities, community engagement, and activism. Bard students tap into their own idealism and vision, developing civic skills that are fundamental for active citizenship.
The Center for Civic Engagement at Bard College coordinates a broad range of initiatives that connect students to internships, volunteer opportunities, community engagement, and activism. Bard students tap into their own idealism and vision, developing civic skills that are fundamental for active citizenship.
Photo by Joseph Nartey’26
Realizing Democracy: Summer Voting Rights Course and Democracy Training
This summer, CCE is offering a new course for Bard students, as well as students across the US. The course, Realizing Democracy: Summer Voting Rights Course and Democracy Training, runs from June 22 through July 28 and uses the 26th Amendment, which lowered the voting age from 21 to 18 and outlaws age discrimination, as a prism through which to examine both the history of disenfranchisement and the fight for voting rights in the United States today. Bard students are encouraged to apply.
Civic Ambassadors
The Civic Ambassadors work to help Bard students, faculty, and staff better understand and connect with their local community, with a particular focus on issues related to local government. Their goal is to promote civic literacy and encourage more informed and active participation in civic life.
More Events
CCE News
March Match: Building Bridges Beyond Campus
Engagement isn’t just about showing up, but about linking spaces that might otherwise remain separate: campus and town, students and residents, art institutions and everyday life.
Open Doors, Open Hours: How CCE Is Inviting Students In
It’s not just about getting students through the door, it’s about redefining what that door means.
More CCE News
- Jonathan Becker Publishes Article on Youth Voting Rights in Forbes and Interviewed in Inside Higher Ed
- Choosing Connection Over Consumption
- Global Friendships are a Radical Act in this Current Moment: Inside Bard’s Civic Engagement Fellowship
- January Intersession Highlight: Justice Williams ‘28
- A Celebration of Connection: What to Expect at SmorgasBard
- US Universities Must Do All They Can to Counter Voter Suppression
- Civic Ambassadors Funding Facts Vol. 9
Voices of Action: Telling Our Stories
The Voices of Action project celebrates the diverse community of students, staff, and faculty at Bard College and across Bard's international network. Being(s) at Bard on Instagram and the What Is Your Why? podcast series highlight conversations focused on common interests, especially around civic and community engagement.
Photo by Jonathan Asiedu ’24
Get Involved
Leadership isn’t handed to you. It’s learned, and it’s earned. Bard provides many opportunities to drive positive change in the College community and beyond.