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    CCE on Campus and in the Community

    Engaging student leaders and local changemakers.

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    CCE's U.S. Network'

    Increasing access to liberal arts and sciences education in the United States.

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    CCE's International Network'

    Linking students and faculty in a global network to foster learning and the exchange of ideas.

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    About CCE

    A private college for the public good.

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Main Image for CCE on Campus and in the Community

CCE on Campus and in the Community

Photo by Sarah Wallock '19
Engaging Student Leaders and Local Changemakers.
The Center for Civic Engagement strives to inspire students to take action, develop a sense of agency, and creatively apply the liberal arts and sciences in public life. Civic action at Bard includes student-led initiatives, volunteer opportunities, electoral politics, participation in social movements, public education, work with government and NGOs, and participation in institutional campus-community partnerships.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

In collaboration with the Bard’s Council for Inclusive Excellence and the Office of the Vice President for Strategy and Policy, the Center for Civic Engagement facilitates a “Community Relations” working group  This group explores and advances off-campus initiatives to support the diverse Bard community, particularly through engaging with local officials and community groups in Dutchess and Ulster County.  

One of our “Community Relations” initiatives is to promote local public board meetings.  Please see below for upcoming meeting dates and email [email protected] if you are a Bard community member interested in joining the working group or if you have suggestions for other local public board meetings to add to the list. 

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

"We can begin by doing small things at the local level, like planting community gardens or looking out for our neighbors. That is how change takes place in living systems, not from above but from within, from many local actions occurring simultaneously." – Grace Lee Boggs

The most meaningful change happens locally, and it starts at home. This is why Council for Inclusive Excellence’s Community Relations working group and Center for Civic Engagement has compiled a list of public meetings covering a wide range of local communities to encourage the Bard community to engage in the local public meetings where Bardians live and work.  
Attending public meetings matters. Local government is directly responsible for the issues that Bardians care about – things like public health, education, sustainability, mental health, youth services, policing, etc.  It's an opportunity for us to convey important concerns, information, and values to local public officials. It contributes to developing sound public policy for us  and our community and keeps local officials accountable. 

Civic Engagement student Faith Palmer Fotta sums it up:
"We can re-engineer the system to create a new political center. One that feels inclusive, empathetic, and equitable. Transformation can occur from the bottom up – all of us as individuals decide that we will, and we do have an impact."
 

  • Red Hook Public Meetings 

Outreach Themes

Student-Led Initiatives

  • Trustee Leader Scholar Program
    Students in the TLS program propose, design, and implement civic engagement projects based on their own passionate interests. 
  • [email protected]
    [email protected] works to increase voter turnout by registering voters, developing elections-based programming to foster civic engagement, and fighting for voting rights.
  • Community Action Awards
    Community Action Awards fund student participation in internships that address issues impacting people around the world.
Math

Math

The Bard Math Circle offers math enrichment for elementary, middle, and high school students in the mid–Hudson Valley.

Learn More

  • Science
    STEAM Explorers bring math and science to the children and teens, creating experiences and experiments that inspire wonder, spark curiosity, and challenge old ideas.
  • Arts
    Bard students bring their passion for the arts off campus, working with children in area schools on theater, dance, music, and visual arts projects.
  • Athletics
    Bard student-athletes are involved in a number of service projects, such as hosting summer camps, fundraising for the Hudson Valley Special Olympics, and leading the campus holiday food drive.

Community Outreach

Our Partners

CCE partners with local and regional organizations to address shared concerns, provide opportunities for student engagement, encourage dialogue about critical issues, and participate in transformative action.

Learn About Our Partners

Brothers at Bard
Brothers at Bard mentors working with high school students in Kingston, New York.

Brothers at Bard

Brothers at Bard (BAB) provides comprehensive mentorship and community-building services in spaces where access to male role models of color is limited. BAB works on multiple fronts: as a club on the Bard campus supporting undergraduate students, as an academic enrichment mentoring program for high school students, as a professional network serving Bard College alumni of color, and as advisers to programs for young men of color on other college campuses.

More about Brothers at Bard

The Bard Debate Union

The Bard Debate Union is a community of students, faculty, and staff committed to promoting the values of civic discourse, dialogue, and debate throughout the Bard College community, the greater Hudson Valley region of New York, and the world at large.

Visit the Debate Website

Local and Regional Initiatives

  • La Voz
    La Voz is an award-winning free Spanish language magazine serving approximately 140,000 Latinos living in the Hudson Valley. Founded in 2004 as a Bard student TLS project, La Voz is the voice of Hispanic culture and news in the Hudson Valley.
  • West Point–Bard Initiative
    The West Point–Bard Initiative, established in 2006, serves as a model of cooperation and collaboration between a U.S. liberal arts college and a service academy. The Initiative provides opportunities for students and faculty from Bard and the United States Military Academy to exchange ideas in the classroom, through public presentations, debates, and extracurricular activities.
  • Bard Sanctuary Fund
    At a time of great uncertainty for undocumented students and refugees, the Bard Sanctuary Fund is designed to ensure that Bard College and the Bard network of campuses provide support for affected students.
Bard College Center for Civic Engagement
Bard College
Campus Road, PO Box 5000
Annandale-on-Hudson, New York 12504-5000
[email protected]
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