Service and Leadership Opportunities

Cougars love their city and it shows.

At the College of Charleston, we take a totally different approach to community service. Instead of relegating it to some extracurricular “to do” list, we’ve woven a commitment to service into academic classes, student clubs and every corner of campus life.

Dozens of full-credit classes at the College of Charleston include a powerful, service-learning component. A women’s studies class volunteers at a local shelter for battered women. Urban planning and preservation students help restore local landmarks. Service learning gives new relevance and meaning to academic work while improving the quality of life for all of Charleston’s citizens.

The Center for Civic Engagement has resources for students, faculty and community members looking to contribute to meaningful projects. And the Higdon Student Leadership Center preaches the power of effective citizenship through exciting leadership development seminars and student excursions.

Student clubs and organizations like the Volunteer Corps, Habitat for Humanity and Alternative Spring Break recruit dedicated Cougars for local and international service missions to places like Belize, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic and Kenya.

And who ever said community service had to be a chore? Check out the annual Dash for Trash, where we turn a simple litter collection campaign into a competitive scavenger hunt for garbage! For the annual MLK Challenge, groups of students are given $76, a van and six hours to complete a challenging local service project. And the Dance Marathon? This year students raised more than $70,000 to benefit a local children’s hospital by shaking it for 15 hours straight!