Catalogue

Classroom, Community, and Careers

Engaged Liberal Arts and Sciences (ELAS): ELAS courses are designed to link academic work and critical thinking skills from the classroom with community engagement activities that contextualize course materials and enhance learning. In the past seven years, more than 1,400 Bard students have enrolled in over 130 ELAS courses that challenge them to develop creative and practical approaches to social, cultural, and scientific issues while partnering with community organizations. A significant portion of ELAS learning takes place through student involvement with organizations and programs in surrounding communities or with national and international partners from the Bard network. Community engagement is not based on “service” but on respect and reciprocity. This emphasis encourages open exchanges, collaboration, and the potential to produce new forms of knowledge. Learn more at cce.bard.edu/classroom/elas-courses.

Certificate in Civic Engagement: The certificate program provides a structured path for undergraduate students interested in deepening their knowledge and understanding of civic and community engagement by merging curricular and cocurricular interests. Certificate candidates should be familiar with theories of citizenship, civil society, and social action; their local community; and the ways in which the local, national, and global are linked. Approved courses focus on themes related to civic engagement and/or the practice of it. The certificate is acknowledged on each student’s transcript upon completion. Students participating in the program develop firsthand experience with civic engagement through cocurricular activities in the community while pursuing a series of courses that deepen connections between the understanding and practice of civic engagement. For additional information on certificate eligibility and requirements, visit cce.bard.edu/classroom/certificate.

Bard-Sponsored Internships: Internships connect students with civic engagement opportunities on and off campus. The Center for Civic Engagement hosts internships in voter engagement through Election@Bard; in communications through the online Annandale Advocate newsletter and CCE Media Corps; and in science education through Citizen Science and volunteer opportunities such as the Saw Kill water sampling project. Many campus offices and initiatives, including the Career Development Office, Human Rights Project, and Center for Environmental Sciences and Humanities, also provide community engagement internships. Bard sponsors off-campus programs in the United States and overseas that feature internship opportunities, including the Bard Global and International Affairs Program in New York City, Bard Experiential Learning Lab in Brooklyn, Bard College Berlin, American University of Central Asia, and Central European University. 

Community Action Awards (CAA): These awards support approximately 18 Bard students who participate in unpaid internships that address issues such as voter access and racial equity. Students can receive support from CCE and the Career Development Office, or find their own internship placement with community organizations; government agencies and offices; international governmental and nongovernmental organizations; media, public policy, and nonprofit organizations; or educational projects and programs. CAA recipients have interned at prominent organizations including Amnesty International, the Asia Society, Bronx Defenders, CNN, Dutchess County Board of Elections, El Museo del Barrio, Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, Global Justice Center, Human Rights Watch, International Center for Transitional Justice, The Nation, Roubini Global Economics (now Continuum Economics), Save the Children, United Nations, the White House, and World Policy Institute, among others. During the initial years of the COVID-19 pandemic, students interned closer to Bard’s Annandale campus, at sites such as the Hudson Catskill Housing Coalition, Ulster Immigrant Defense Network, and Hometown Project, addressing public policy, working for political campaigns, and interning for government agencies. Through these experiences, students understand firsthand how community and civic engagement can be powerful tools to redefine and rebuild a more knowledgeable, driven, and just community.