Community partnerships are foundational to our work in Community Engagement & Leadership. Reciprocity is a cornerstone to our approach and we view our community partners as co-educators in creating meaningful learning experiences for students that also benefit our community. We aim to foster social responsibility, build leadership skills, and address community-identified needs.

Community Engagement & Leadership (CEL) at Oregon State University seeks to foster reciprocal, meaningful relationships with community-based organizations in order to connect the OSU campus and the surrounding community through collaborative learning, service, and action. CEL strives to create more healthy, caring, and just communities by engaging students in actively working to progress the community and world they want to live in while advancing their leadership skills.

Community partnerships are foundational to our work in Community Engagement & Leadership. Reciprocity is a cornerstone to our approach and we view our community partners as co-educators in creating meaningful learning experiences for students that also benefit our community.  We have an asset-based framework in working with community partners. Learn about CEL's mission and vision as well as our approach to community engagement and leadership. 

CEL is a hub for co-curricular community service at OSU. We are a resource yet not the only resource to support meeting community partner needs. In our outreach and meetings with partners, we will strive to understand your organization and your organization's goals, needs, and assets in order to identify the best possible collaborative opportunities. Below is a summary of the ways CEL supports and works with local nonprofit and government organizations:

  • 1:1 consultations to share CEL services, learn about your organization’s needs, and make suggestions additional possible OSU partners
    • We maintain community partner profiles to share information about your organization with students who are interested in your organization and/or the social issue and mission of your organization. 
  • Volunteer, service and community engagement opportunity postings for the OSU community via a community engagement database and/or social media postings
  • Partnership for days of service and service projects
    • Craft N’ Care projects where students create crafts, small art projects, or decorations to meet a community need or spread kindness and cheer
  • Referral to student organizations/clubs, academic advisors, or faculty for academic service-learning opportunities
  • Hosting the Nonprofit & Public Service Fair for nonprofit and regional government agencies to meet with students interested in volunteer, internship, and job opportunities in the nonprofit and public service fields

Please contact us with any questions or to set up a meeting via email at [email protected] or phone at 541-737-3041.

Campus & Community Partners