Your future is more than a career. It’s the impact you choose to make.
At Central Lakes College, our mission We Build Futures means preparing students not only for meaningful work, but for meaningful citizenship. Civic engagement is woven into who we are. We empower our campus community to become active, informed contributors who strengthen their communities locally and globally.
Through hands‑on experiences, leadership opportunities and service‑focused programs, CLC students learn to advocate, collaborate, and drive positive change. Here, you don’t just prepare for your future — you help shape the future of the world around you.
Ways to practice civic engagement:
- Voting in local, state, and national elections
- Contacting elected officials to express opinions on issues
- Signing petitions for causes you care about
- Volunteering at local nonprofits, schools, or community centers
- Organizing neighborhood clean-ups or food drives
- Participating in town hall meetings or public forums
- Joining advocacy groups to promote social or environmental change
- Campaigning for candidates or ballot initiatives
- Writing op-ends or blogs to raise awareness about civic issues
- Hosting workshops on civic literacy or voter registration
- Mentoring youth in leadership and community service
- Creating informational content about local government processes
- Getting involved in student government
- Using social media to share civic information and mobilize action
- Participating in online campaigns for social justice and policy change
- Running for elected office
Get involved
Students are welcome to attend Student Senate or Community Connect Club meetings. Many academic programs and student clubs incorporate civic engagement into their learning and service activities, offering students meaningful opportunities to contribute to both the campus and the broader community.
Employees can get involved by joining the Civic Engagement Committee. The committee meets once a month during the school year. The committee has created a campus-wide system to track civic engagement projects and built a large list of community non-profit partners. It also reviews how civic learning is included in classes and activities. With support from an AmeriCorps VISTA staff member and Seed Coalition training, the committee has been able to grow special projects and improve curriculum efforts.
Everyone is welcome to engage in their own projects, whether it’s with individually or with friends. If you have any ideas and want help getting things off the ground, please contact our Civic Engagement Coordinator, Elena Kahler-Sinotte
Civic Engagement Reporting Form
Whenever a CLC student or community member completes a service project, we ask that they fill out this form. Your submission helps us recognize, track, and celebrate the meaningful volunteer work taking place across our communities.