Community Relationships
Volunteers make friends and contacts in Northfield, and many Volunteers appreciate spending time off campus. It's a great way to break the "Carleton Bubble", and have fun doing it!

Satisfaction of Successful Service
Service with ACT enriches the lives of Volunteers and shows them that it's easy to make a difference.

Learn about the World - and Yourself
It's easy to live within the Bubble at Carleton, but Volunteers' interactions with people in the community provide much better understanding of the real world than any coursework can give you. Also, Volunteers learn about their own interests and skills - and expand them too!

Leadership Experience
ACT Program Directors and Student Coordinators gain valuable leadership experience in a real-world setting - employers love seeing that on your resume!

Real-World Experience
Even if you're not a PD or SC, Volunteers gain great resume-building experience. Many Carls use their ACT volunteer experience to get a job or even launch a career after Carleton.

Check out our Service at Carleton and Beyond page for information on possible internships, grants and organizations that work with ACT.

How have Alums used ACT Experience?

Lauren Mack '01 used her experience as an ACT Student Coordinator to get a job with the Bay Area United Way, and now works at a firm where she works with nonprofits such as CARE, the Humane Society and Amnesty International.
- "Five years later I still tell potential employers about my experiencing managing volunteers with ACT and how much it taught me."

Katie Newell '03 was an ACT Student Coordinator, and then went to work for the Fund for Public Interest Reserach. Currently she is in law school.
- "I am graduating from law school this May, and then moving to San Antonio to work as a staff attorney at Texas RioGrande Legal Aid. I will be representing low-income clients seeking public benefits, as well as practicing family law.
I think my participation with ACT taught me a lot about organizing at the grassroots level, and helped sustain my commitment to social justice while I was at Carleton. ACT is at the heart of Carleton's commitment to community outreach and deserves its full measure of support."

Asha Spencer '03 used her experience as an ACT Student Coordinator to get a job working at the Illinois State Legislature. She's currently working on an HIV/AIDS awareness project in Kenya.