Community Engagement Center
Explore, Experience, Engage
Engaging students
Students interested in connecting their talents and passions with the local community and the world beyond can begin at Augustana's Community Engagement Center (CEC). Whether students want to discern their calling, volunteer locally or globally, experience entrepreneurial work, study abroad, pursue an exciting internship, or get help with a targeted job search, the CEC conveniently houses the staff and resources to help students discover, pursue and reflect upon these opportunities.
Engaging the community
The CEC also serves as a gateway between the community and the students, faculty, and staff at Augustana College. Organizations in the community will find many significant opportunities for connection including students eager to be valuable resources as interns and volunteers, and Augustana faculty and staff that regularly learn from and share their expertise with community groups.
The CEC is located on the first floor of Sorensen Hall at the intersection of 38th Street and 7th Avenue. The CEC can be reached at 309-794-8612 or cec@augustana.edu.
The CEC can help you connect through the following offices:
• Center for Vocational Reflection
• International and Off-Campus Programs
Career Development
Career Development assists students with their pursuit of academic majors as well as graduate and career options based upon their skill-sets, personal values, and post graduate interests. Students will find a number of useful resources, such as career research and online personality assessments, career library resources linking majors to career paths, a robust alumni career network, résumé development, interview practice, and exposure to a variety of employers through job fairs and on-campus interviews.
Center for Vocational Reflection
Vocation, or calling, is the place where our passions and skills intersect with the needs of the world around us. The Center for Vocational Reflection (CVR) guides students into discerning, reflecting upon, and engaging their vocation. The center offers a variety of programs including one on one counseling to help students discern their calling, academic offerings to explore vocation historically and personally, volunteer opportunities to test one's interests, seminary visits for students considering ministry as a vocation, and paid servant-leader internships to explore one's vocation in context.
The Entrepreneurial Center
The Entrepreneurial Center connects students with community organizations in need of communications, marketing and creative services, including web design. Students gain real experience to enhance their portfolios and résumés, while businesses and not-for-profit organizations gain a creative, low-cost resource for their marketing needs. The center is also helps students prepare their professional portfolios for job interviews.
Internships
Internships provides students excellent preparation for a career - whether getting a jump start on professional aspirations during college, or exploring career alternatives before making a final choice of academic path. Students take internships with intentional learning goals and a plan for reflection on the experience. The Internships office helps students find the opportunity that best fits their interests and goals and is a resource for the community in providing a talented intern work pool to meet their business objectives.
International and Off-Campus Programs
IOP coordinates study abroad and off-campus opportunities that complement the college's academic program. Whether you are a student planning to join a program, a faculty member helping to develop a program, or an international student interested in coming to Augustana, IOP is ready to assist you. IOP also provides resources and advice for those who travel abroad, including athletic, co-curricular and fine arts travel programs; sponsors on-campus programming; and provides orientation and support for international students.
Service Learning
Service-Learning is "a teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility and strengthen communities" (National Service-Learning Clearinghouse). The Service-Learning Office works with faculty, students and community members to develop opportunities in Augustana courses to apply classroom knowledge to community needs, both locally and internationally.
Volunteer Programs
The Office of Volunteer Programs demonstrates the college's commitment to community engagement. The office provides the campus with ongoing information on volunteer opportunities, both short-term and long-term, in the Quad-Cities area and beyond.
Contact
For more information; angelawilliams@augustana.edu or 309.794.8612
