Student Focused Campus Offices

my.slc.edu/communitypartnerships or partnerships@sarahlawrence.edu 
Bates 224 (Student Life Suite)

Sarah Lawrence College has a rich history of education for social responsibility and a commitment to linking classroom learning and community-based work. Through on-site work, students can develop deep relationships with their community beyond the campus, expand their academic inquiry, learn more about their beliefs, develop skills in community organizing, assist in the mission of a local agency, and explore their ideas about what it means to be an engaged and contributing citizen. The staff of the Anita L. Stafford Office of Community Partnerships and Engagement supports and connects students and faculty interested in working for social change with agencies and organizations in Yonkers, Westchester County, and New York City.

The Office of Community Partnerships helps students, faculty, and staff find community-based sites to complement their academic studies, whether through a practice-based course or for conference work. The College and community organizations collaborate to help students learn about their placements and the social issues pertaining to them both before and throughout their work experience. Opportunities include, but are not limited to, tutoring and mentoring elementary school-aged children, teaching English as a second language, leading writing workshops with prison inmates, organizing for unions throughout New York City, promoting environmental causes, community organizing, and working with the elderly through assisted-living sites. Students may also come to the office to discuss other options that they might like to pursue. Office staff coordinates College vehicles and stipends for student transportation to and from community-based sites.

Students may engage in service-based projects in several ways. The Office of Community Partnerships sponsors and supports student-led initiatives and programs that are developed and sustained by students. Some examples of these include Right to Write (R2W), Hearts and Homes for Refugees, WeCARE and Animal Rescue Relief.

Community Partnerships also offers students an opportunity to volunteer during their spring break through the Alternative Spring Break Program. Students organize spring-break trips to work with community‐based organizations in and outside of New York State. Past partners include Habitat for Humanity, the American Hiking Society, CURB, Wartburg Adult Care, and the Yonkers Public Library.

Students also have the opportunity to apply for the Community Leadership Intern Program (CLIP), a 10-week summer internship with community‐based organizations throughout Westchester County. During CLIP, students spend time learning/working with nonprofit organizations and their site supervisors. On Fridays, the office hosts personal development workshops, guest speakers, site visits, field trips, and an end-of-summer Community Celebration Luncheon.

For students wishing to volunteer on their own time, Community Partnerships maintains a database of community-based organizations. The office also organizes an annual day of service for students to work in local agencies on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.