At Bates, your education doesn’t stop at the campus gates. We believe that for some students, the most profound learning happens when rigorous academics meet the complexities of the real world.

The Harward Center for Community Partnerships is our hub for this mission, weaving together academics, campus life, and community action to prepare students for a lifetime of civic engagement. Here are some ways we bridge the gap between “learning” and “doing.”

The Engaged Classroom: Academics with Impact

At many colleges, service is an extracurricular. At Bates, it is core to our curriculum.

• Community-Engaged Learning (CEL): More than a third of our students enroll in courses where “assignments” are replaced by real-world projects—like conducting water quality tests for local rivers or developing marketing plans for downtown non-profits.
• Formal Concentrations: Students can deepen their commitment by pursuing a concentration in Civic Engagement or Public Health, turning their community work into a recognized academic credential.
• Community-Engaged Research (CER): Through specialized fellowships, seniors can conduct high-level research for their thesis that directly solves a problem for a community partner, ensuring their final academic project has a lasting legacy.

Leadership for the Common Good

We don’t just ask students to volunteer; we train them to lead.

• The Bonner Leader Program: A prestigious four-year program for students dedicated to sustained service. It provides a supportive cohort, professional mentoring, and financial support.
• Community Outreach Fellows: These student leaders serve as part-time Harward Center staff, managing entire programs (from food security to the arts) and recruiting their peers to get involved.
• Community Liaisons: Every athletic team and many student clubs have a dedicated liaison to ensure that civic action is integrated into all aspects of the Bates experience.

Working in Local Schools

Bates students are a vital part of the Lewiston-Auburn community, particularly in our local schools.

• The Aspirations Program: Our students serve as mentors to local 8th-12th graders, helping them navigate the path to college and career.
• Book Buddies & Tutoring: Through programs like America Reads/America Counts, Bates students work one-on-one with elementary students to build the literacy and math skills essential for future success.
• Teacher Education: Our education department offers a minor in teacher education which prepares students to enter the workforce as educators. The coursework for this minor includes student teaching in one of our many partner schools

Accessibility & Financial Support

We believe community engagement should be available to everyone, regardless of financial background.

• Community Work-Study: Students eligible for federal work-study can earn their wages by working at local non-profits instead of on-campus offices.
• Grants & Summer Fellowships: We provide Academic Year Grants to fund student-designed projects and Summer Fellowships that pay students to stay in Maine and complete intensive 8-10 week internships.

Ready to get started? Explore our CommunityPulse portal to see current opportunities, or meet our team at 161 Wood Street.