At Alma, transformation happens in the classroom and in the community. Find purpose, deepen your connections and be a part of building a just and sustainable world.
Founded in 2021, the Center for College and Community Engagement (3CE) offers students opportunities to engage, learn and grow in partnership with the local community.
You might mentor local youth, serve meals at the Community Cafe or support ecological restoration during an alternative break.
In the classroom, you’ll deepen your understanding of social justice and civic engagement through your coursework. In doing so, you’ll learn how to be an agent of change, empowering you to pursue a purposeful life.
Students participated in community-engaged programming since CCCE launched
55+
Local internships and micro-internships
3000+
hours
Hours spent volunteering during Alternative Breaks annually
Community Engagement
At Alma, we promote a scaffolded approach to community engagement. You’ll participate in direct service during your first year, focusing on food security, education, housing, environmental stewardship or diversity, equity and inclusion.
In your second and third years, you’ll dig deeper into the issues you’re addressing, bringing your learning into the classroom. You’ll graduate with the skills necessary to create sustained, impactful change.
Alternative breaks allow you to learn about social justice issues while engaging in direct, hands-on service in regional and global communities.
Alternative breaks span a broad range of themes, issues and locations. You might assist with conservation efforts at Joshua Tree National Park and then volunteer to maintain local trails and nature areas. You could join mid-Michigan partners working to alleviate food insecurity or travel to support disaster relief efforts.
No matter what your interest is, there is an Alternative Break opportunity for you!
In community-engaged courses developed by Alma faculty in collaboration with 3CE, you’ll dive into fundamental civic questions and examine sustainable solutions and explore how we can better meet societal needs.
You’ll explore topics like public advocacy and environmental stewardship. And you’ll build skills like research, volunteer management and program development, preparing you for a lifetime of leadership.
Internships and Job Opportunities
Through 3CE-sponsored internships, you’ll apply everything you’re learning in the classroom and community to build capacity for a local nonprofit or agency.
You’ll gain insight into how community organizations function and develop problem-solving, critical thinking and communications skills that will equip you to make an even greater impact.
“This experience [with Presbyterian Disaster Assistance] made me realize that there are many people in the Gratiot County community that are seeking help just like many families were in Texas. Since I had this Alternative Break, I feel much more confident - I am reaching out to different local organizations to see how I would be able to help locally. Going to Texas made me realize that I personally can make a huge difference in other lives, and I want to be able to give back to people in my college community.” – Morgan Henson, ’24
