The mission of the Office of Community Service and Civic Engagement is to build strong, sustainable partnerships with the Hartford community and to strengthen service, community commitment, and civic responsibility as central to Trinity’s institutional mission as well as to the experience of each member of the Trinity College community.  The Office realizes this mission through the creation and implementation of a comprehensive and cohesive array of civic and service programs that engage students, faculty, administration, staff, and alumni.

Your ability to get involved and make a difference at Trinity is only limited by your imagination.  For example, if you’re interested in working with children, there are at least a half dozen programs from which to choose, including the Adolescent Mentoring Program (AMP), the Vision Academic Mentoring Program (VAMP), and the Boys and Girls Club.  If you are interested in housing, hunger or homelessness Trinity has an active Habitat for Humanity chapter, as well projects with various homeless shelters in the city. For those interested in human rights and political activism, there are opportunities to get involved with Amnesty International, Students to Unite Science and Humanitarian Interests (SUSHI), and Voices Organized in Democracy.  You can also play BINGO with senior citizens through our “Gambling with Granny” program, work on environmental issues through our chapter of the Connecticut Public Interest Research Group (ConnPIRG), or build bonds of friendship with those with intellectual disabilities throughout our Best Buddies chapter.  And if there is not a project that matches your particular interests, the Office will work to connect you with one of the hundreds of organizations that exist in the city and/or assist you in starting your own project or partnership.

Through all of the above and other programs, the Office of Community Service and Civic Engagement plays a primary role in preparing future civic leaders.  The Office believes that an involved national people--citizens--are this society’s most important component.  Thus, being a citizen is an active existence transcending mere national identity, and the Office therefore maintains that citizenship goes far beyond altruism or philanthropy.  Although communities may be helped through a greater sense of civic responsibility on the part of students, the point of community service and civic engagement is to convey that community involvement is a requisite component of citizenship and in the best interests of everyone involved.  Because of this philosophy and ethic, the students involved with the Office will graduate from Trinity truly prepared to be the leaders of tomorrow.

We look forward to having you join us.