A student stands in a river doing trash clean up

Community Engagement

Why wait for graduation to start having an impact on the world?

The mission of Centre College is to prepare students for lives of learning, leadership, and service in a global society.

Here, community engagement is not just a one-time activity—it’s a way of life—an opportunity for the life-long integration of learning and service. You can work with and learn from trailblazers on the ground.

A large group of students wearing stoles that say "Bonner 2022"

Bonner Program

“Access to Education, Opportunity to Serve.” The good work of the Bonner Leaders and Scholars at Centre impacts the community through direct service and advocacy for policy change. The Bonner Program is a network of students on campus (and thousands nationwide) dedicated to alleviating poverty and improving education through active community service and civic engagement.

A neon sign says CentreWorks

CentreWorks

Centre College students have unprecedented opportunities to engage with the community in a hands-on, practical manner thanks to CentreWorks. At CentreWorks, students, faculty and staff work alongside the community in projects focused on the roots of what makes for a healthy, vibrant and inclusive community.

community-based-learning

Community-Based Learning

Community-based learning is a part of our core curriculum and includes work outside the classroom, integration of community perspective, and alignment between community and classroom learning. Recent Centre classes have included oral histories of the African-American community, Watershed studies and invasive species removal, and student engagement with art conservation.

Community Engagement Opportunities

Over 80% of Centre students participate in community engagement. To learn more, email communityengagement@jdzruiran.com 

Here are just a few of the many opportunities you might explore:

Alpha Phi Omega

Alpha Phi Omega is a co-ed service organization that sponsors such activities as Box Sleep-Out, Random Acts of Kindness, and Adopt-A-Highway is a co-ed service organization that sponsors such activities as Box Sleep-Out, Random Acts of Kindness, and Adopt-A-Highway.

Blood Drives

Centre hosts regular on-campus blood drives to help community members donate to the Kentucky Blood Center.

Delve into Danville

The Delve into Danville orientation program introduces First-Year students to all that downtown Danville has to offer. Students tour small businesses, non-profit organizations, and the local Farmer's Market. The program is designed to increase students' sense of belonging and connect them with the community they will call home for the next four years.

ESL After-School Program

ESL after-school program is a student initiated and operated after-school program for children of local migrant families who use English as a second language.

Food Recovery Network

Food Recovery Network is a student-led movement fighting food waste and food insecurity in the United States. Centre's chapter partners with Parkhurst Dining to turn surplus food into soup for Soup's On Us, a nonprofit food program serving people facing hunger in Danville. 

Greek Organizations

Greek organizations at Centre can be found helping in campus events and volunteering in Danville and the surrounding communities. Learn more about Greek Life.

MLK Day of Service

The only federal holiday designated as a National Day of Service, volunteer at one of several local nonprofit community partners to honor the legacies of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King. 

Poverty and Homelessness Week

A week-long series of events to raise awareness about poverty and homelessness at the state, national, and global level. Students may contact communityengagement@jdzruiran.com to learn how to get involved. 

Service Council 

The Service Council convenes representatives from service-based student organizations monthly to encourage communication, collaboration, and leadership on campus and in the broader community. For more information, contact servicecouncil@jdzruiran.com 

More Information