To learn, to impact, to develop - we must first show up as citizens in our community. By "citizenship," we mean taking shared responsibility for addressing collective problems and realizing collective visions, recognizing that we each have a shared stake in one another's futures. By citizenship, we do not mean who is legally permitted to belong - an exclusionary, narrow use of the term in political discourse.

We have untapped potential in getting more members of our campus community connected - particularly in deep, sustained ways. Moreover, we have a tremendous opportunity to embrace our place in Colorado Springs and the Pikes Peak region; engaging locally affords greater opportunity for sustained relationship building and deeper, longer-term impacts. Moving forward, the CCE will work to mobilize our campus community to build collaborations with local organizations and participate in city and regional community life, dialogue, and decision-making.

Lastly, CC has an opportunity as an organization - not just as a community of individuals - to deepen our institutional citizenship, embracing our status as an anchor institution in Colorado Springs.

Anchor Institution

Colorado College has an opportunity to deepen our role as an anchor institution in Colorado Springs, meaning we are "anchored" or rooted to, and intimately shape, this place - in intentional and unintentional ways.

Goals

1. Facilitate a spectrum of opportunities to engage (diverse communities, issues, forms of engagement, and levels of commitment)
2. Promote and expand deep, focused engagement in the Pikes Peak Region.
3. Advocate for the centering of community engagement within CC's institutional narrative, culture, and practices.
4. Cultivate informed citizenship and sense of belonging in Colorado Springs by deepening knowledge of this city and region.
5. Deepen the CC community's understanding of meanings and significance of citizenship.

Community Engaged Scholars

In this program that spans the college experience, students commit to guided individual journaling and reflection on 300+ hours of social action over 4 years, coupled with participation in co-curricular trainings and lectures that give insight to their community work. Students document their activities along the way, each time responding to critical thinking questions aimed to help students conceptually integrate their engaged experiences. Intended to serve as an accessible gateway program for new CC students, Community Engaged Scholars centralizes information on avenues to engage and learn from community-based experience. With over 130 members, this open enrollment program encourages students to commit to making community engagement a core part of their college experience - and hold themselves accountable to "showing up."

In 2017, students learn about opportunities to engage in community work during a blockly Community Engaged Scholars orientation.