The spirit of giving and serving is part of what makes Saint Anselm special and unique among liberal arts colleges. Service to humanity is a core tenet of the Benedictine Catholic tradition and this ethos extends to our campus community as well. Students attending Saint Anselm are expected to give amply of their time throughout the college career and are encouraged to lead their own service learning initiatives.
The Meelia Center for Community Engagement is the central hub for volunteering and service projects at Saint Anselm. As the coordinating body for 14 community partnerships and more than 30 service agencies throughout Greater Manchester, the Meelia Center is tasked with placing volunteers where they are needed and where they can make a difference.
Students generally commit to semester- or year-long projects and can find volunteer opportunities that suit their major or design and run their activities and workshops with the help of mentors.
Additionally, students can participate in service learning projects that combine classroom instruction with community service. Conducted as a course component, service learning challenges students to apply what they learn in a working service setting during the school year.