Civic Engagement at Skidmore
A liberal arts education certainly represents a personal good for our graduates, preparing them not only to make a living but also to create a life worth living — a life that truly matters for themselves and others. But a Skidmore education also represents a broader social good that is seldom remarked upon in contemporary discussions of higher education. We highlight this value in our expressed determination to prepare our graduates to live as informed, responsible, and globally and interculturally aware citizens who are not only capable of bringing their personal plans to fruition but who also strive to make the world a better place for all.
Faces of Community Engagement
Stories of community engagement
The Environmental Action Club (EAC) promotes climate consciousness and sustainable literacy in the Skidmore student body. In the fall semester of 2024, the EAC’s three main initiatives were getting students registered to vote, creating recommendations for the College to use in its new strategic plan, and supporting local non-profits with their environmental activism.
The Skidmore College Democrats is a club that promotes political involvement and social activism in the College’s community. The club hosts multiple events every semester focused on registering Skidmore students to vote, bringing locally elected officials from both sides of the political aisle to campus, and boosting awareness of politics on a local and national level.
Education Studies Professor Stephanie Banks and Computer Science Professor Aarathi Prasad conduct an exciting independent study program where Skidmore students teach computer science to sixth graders at Maple Avenue Middle School in Saratoga Springs, New York.
For the past twelve years, Professor Schneller has introduced his students to the importance and value of learning through teaching by having them teach a lesson designed by Shelburne Farms in Burlington, Vermont, called “The Fab Five in the Garden.” This lesson teaches first, second, and third graders in Saratoga Springs about the five things that plants need to survive: water, soil, air, space, and sunlight.
Imagining America
The Imagining America consortium (IA) brings together scholars, artists, designers, humanists, and organizers to imagine, study, and enact a more just and liberatory ‘America’ and world. Working across institutional, disciplinary, and community divides, IA strengthens and promotes public scholarship, cultural organizing, and campus change that inspires collective imagination, knowledge-making, and civic action on pressing public issues.
Project Pericles
Project Pericles is a vibrant consortium of 30 colleges and universities that promotes civic engagement within higher education. Building on the innovative vision of Eugene M. Lang, Project Pericles works in the classroom, on the campus, and in the community. Project Pericles is at the forefront of civic engagement and social responsibility in areas including faculty and course development, curricular coherence, and research into best practices.
In the News
College employees, students, and friends gathered for a June panel, "Pride in Place: Uplifting LGBTQ+ Voices in Our Region," to reflect on the importance of community connections with local leaders.
Both alumni believe in giving back — and now they’re rallying the next generation of philanthropy at Skidmore through mentorship, generosity, and even a hot “wing” challenge.
The conservative columnist for The New York Times explored global politics, demographic shifts, and the role of religion in shaping the 21st century during a campus visit.
The appointment highlights Skidmore’s expanding leadership in higher education and civic engagement.
Anna Graves ’14 and Danika Robison ’10 are applying Creative Thought Matters to high school, offering at-risk students a rich world of learning opportunities and helping them graduate on time.
Billy Winter ’18 aka Zella Cullatore is working with Drag Out the Vote to mobilize voters ahead of this fall’s election.
The College is joining 60 other college presidents of diverse institutions from across the country to advance higher education’s pivotal role in preparing students to be engaged citizens and to uphold free expression on campus.
The partnership between Skidmore’s Social Work Department and the long-running Saratoga nonprofit, which is led by Skidmore alumna Sybil Newell ’00, has a powerful impact on the students and the struggling populations they’re serving.
Skidmore is joining the College Presidents for Civic Preparedness, a new initiative convened by The Institute for Citizens & Scholars to facilitate shared learning and greater impact through partnership toward the goal of developing college students for democratic engagement as empowered citizens.