Community Engagement Center
Apply to the Lives of Commitment Program!
Lives of Commitment (LoC) empowers first-year students to engage off-campus with the broader Twin Cities community and build community on-campus with other students, staff, and faculty committed to transformative social change. Groups of 4-8 students volunteer at a community organization once per week, often in English Language Learning programs for immigrants and refugees, or in literacy & homework programs for K-12 students. Participants also meet twice per month to share in large group dinner conversations, small group reflections, and immersive community events. This program has been a catalyst for generations of Macalester students seeking to be a part of transformative social change and lead a meaningful life — and there’s no better way to get to know your surroundings!
Want to go deeper with a community partner?
The Action Fund supports off-campus community engagement projects proposed and led by students in direct collaboration with a local community-based organization. The projects all have action components, fulfilling unmet needs of Twin Cities’ communities, as well as learning/education components that promote reflection, meaning making, and sharing of lessons learned. Award amounts up to $2,500 are available per project.
All In Awards Mac for 2024 Election Plan
Macalester earned All In to Vote’s “Highly Established Action Plan Seal” for our 2024 election cycle democratic engagement plan, recognized as among the best in the country for promoting civic learning, political engagement, and student voter participation.
Related Sites
CEC Hours
Academic-Year Hours
- Monday 8:30am-6pm
- Tuesday-Friday 8:30am-5pm
Summer Hours
- Monday-Thursday 9am-4pm
- Friday Closed
Macalester was awarded the prestigious Carnegie Community Engagement Classification for excellence in community engagement in 2010.
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