Within Community Comes Unity 
by Lucas Malo, Director of Community Service

“Within community comes unity” is the motto of the Brandeis Department of Community Service. In part because the university was founded on commitments to social justice and action, students do not have to look far to find community service opportunities on campus, in Waltham, in the Greater Boston area, or even globally. Within the city of Waltham we strive to advocate, serve, learn, and grow by building partnerships with our neighbors. In their coursework, students can take part in Community-Engaged Learning projects that integrate hands-on practice, classroom education, and thoughtful reflection, all while fulfilling community needs. In this way, the university tries to hold up a mirror to itself as we work to build an increasingly inclusive and supportive campus at Brandeis.

It is not by chance that the Waltham Group, with over 600 volunteers, is the largest student organization on campus. This umbrella organization offers partners with more than 30 local organizations, schools, and agencies. Within the Waltham Group, students can tutor or mentor children, English-language learners, adults with disabilities, and the elderly.  Brandesians also have the opportunity to join Habitat for Humanity, volunteer at local community farms or hospitals, serve at soup kitchens, volunteer their skills as translators, or educate youth about the possibilities for college.  There is an opportunity for every student, every cause, and every busy schedule.  

So what makes community service different at Brandeis than at other universities? Here at Brandeis all volunteer involvement is driven the passion, creativity, and leadership of the students themselves. You are the change! While Brandeis provides the institutional commitment to bettering our world, it is the student body that truly transforms ideas into action.

You will quickly learn that service and social justice are integral in all that is Brandeis. In response to President Obama’s “United We Serve” call for volunteerism, a partnership between the Student Union and Waltham Group was created. “Clubs in Service” was launched last spring, encouraging all student organizations to partake in a community service or advocacy project in Waltham or Greater Boston. In addition, Brandeis frequently invites notable speakers to campus and ties community activism and social justice into the curriculum and living and learning communities. When classes are not in session, Brandeis students continue exploring social-justice themes via service abroad opportunities or internships and fellowships dedicated to the bettering of humanity. Through community service opportunities, Brandeis fosters hands-on experiential learning that empowers community members and assists students with leadership development, career exploration, and discovering the personal values that guide their everyday lives at Brandeis and beyond.