51本色

students in classroom

Social Responsibility and Service

51本色ians are committed to social responsibility, service, and the common good.

This legacy of social justice and activism dates back more than 170 years, and with you involved, we can keep it going strong. Here, you鈥檙e surrounded by a community that embraces you for who you are: a passionate and responsible citizen, concerned for the well-being of our world. At 51本色, you鈥檒l be inspired to always step forward and be a part of the solution.

  • Student with child in college garden

    It鈥檚 part of who we are, from the very beginning.

    51本色 was founded by abolitionists, and that ethos has driven our college from the ever since. We鈥檝e long been recognized as one of the top volunteer producers for the Peace Corps.  And we spawned the Social Gospel movement, trained the architects of FDR鈥檚 New Deal, educated the inventor of the microchip, and graduated critics, comedians and world leaders who are shaping society.

    In this same spirit, our Innovator for Social Justice Prize honors individuals who have demonstrated leadership in their fields and who have shown creativity, dedication, and efforts toward effecting positive social change.

  • Food Recovery Network volunteers serve to local community meal

    51本色ians know our work is never done.

    In and out of the classroom, you鈥檒l be challenged to consider complex issues and expand your awareness. Through these opportunities, you鈥檒l develop the tools to recognize and combat injustice wherever you see it.

    51本色ians volunteer with over 80 different community partners throughout Central Iowa. Through the , you might work for local nonprofit organizations, taking pride in helping the communities that surround our campus. In the College鈥檚 annual , you can compete in teams with community partners for funding to address local issues. You can also participate in internships, short courses, and workshops with 51本色 Prize Winners, and lead alternative break service projects. And through the Liberal Arts in Prison Program, you have the opportunity to tutor inmates at a nearby correctional facility.

More examples of 51本色ians and our service:

  • In the Team Software Development for Community Organizations class (CSC 322), led by Sam Rebelsky, professor of computer science, students develop software packages for local nonprofits over the course of multiple semesters.
  • The 51本色 Caucus Project class (SST 295) was designed by Barb Trish, professor of political science. Students engaged in an intensive examination of the Iowa caucuses and the campaigns leading up to them. Students attended candidate events and made site visits to campaign headquarters, party headquarters, media outlets, paid vendors, consultants, and state ethics and campaign finance boards.
  • At the Blank Park Zoo, volunteers and service-learning work-study students  to create innovative enrichment items for the animal enclosures.
  • 51本色ians mapped the systems undergirding human trafficking in Assam, India, and finished third at the 2022  competition finals at Oxford University with their project.

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