Educating Citizens for a Global Community.
Otterbein College's Center for Community Engagement (CCE) offers a variety of opportunities for student volunteerism, service-learning, and community-based research.
Student volunteers serve in 14 different student-led organizations working with urban youth, elders, and animals at non-profit agencies and local schools.
We offer more than 90 service-learning courses in which 1,200 students each year apply their academic expertise to meet the needs of local and global communities.
Students and faculty are engaged in undergraduate community-based research examining local environmental issues, youth leadership, mentoring strategies, and organizational management.
Otterbein students, faculty, and staff support community engagement in five key areas:
- Civic Responsibility
- Environmental Awareness and Protection
- Health
- Poverty, Hunger, and Homelessness
- Youth Literacy, Education, and Development
News and Upcoming Events
October 24, 2009
Homecoming Celebration
The CCE had a busy weekend with all of our Homecoming activities. Check out more about what we were up to on our Homecoming page, and check out our photo gallery with images from all the events.
At our "Empty Cups 'O Soup" booth, visitors who checked out our "stop 'n serve" stand painted soup mugs to raise awareness about hunger in Central Ohio. The "Can Capital" campaign collected canned foods and served 82 hours of service to six hunger and/or homelessness agencies in the community. During the Homecoming Parade, CardinalCorps Leaders dressed as historical social justice volunteers, such as abolishionists, temperance union women, peace activists, and contemporary peers. The CCE float showed pathways from Towers Hall that linked the CCE to our many areas of service in the local community, such as elementary schools, churches, and Otterbein Lake.
October 20, 2009
Service: A Solution for Higher Education
Look carefully and you'll see Otterbein students (Scott Habrun, Maame Owusu-Kwarteng, Chelsea Merriman, Lucas Homan, and Cole Hague), professor Patti Wilson's service-learning class at Hawthorne Elementary School, CCE's weekly program, "Club Whittier," at Whittier Elementary School, interviews with Brent DeVore, Suzanne Kile (Principal at McVey), and CCE Director Melissa Gilbert.
September 17, 2009
Fall Service Extravaganza
The Fall Service Extravaganza, September 17 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Campus Center, allowed students to see all of the weekly service organizations available on campus. The weekly service organizations are led by students, who will be on-hand to discuss each organization. Visitors enjoyed music, food and prizes by taking action to make connections!
Learn more about Weekly Service Organizations.
September 12, 2009
Fall Plunge
More than 200 Otterbein students and staff, including President Krendl, participated in the 17th-annual Fall Community Service Plunge on Saturday, September 12. Students volunteered at 18 various community organizations across the Columbus area as part of the New Student Weekend.
Read the full press release preview here.
February 11, 2009
Otterbein Recognized by President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll
The Corporation for National and Community Service honored Otterbein College with a place on the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction for outstanding service efforts. This is the third year Otterbein College has been recognized, and last year the College was given the President's Award for General Community Service through the Honor Roll program.
Read the full press release here.
View the News Archive.
