Carleton’s CCCE engages with the broader community, working alongside our community partners to address community-identified goals. We co-educate with our community partners through long-term reciprocal relationships. Our community partners bring their knowledge, experience and structure to the table and we blend that with our student, staff and faculty resources, energy in an intentional response to community partner goals.

The CCCE community does this reciprocal work through ACE classes and collaborations, student-led programming, campus-wide events and special projects. It is a joy to connect and engage with our neighbors.

Community-Based Work Study

In collaboration with the CCCE, local organizations offer Community Based Work Study positions to Carleton students. These part-time positions are paid for with a combination of state, federal, and institutional funds. Eligibility for these positions used to be based on receipt of federal or state work study in a student’s financial aid package, but this is no longer the case; all Carleton students can now apply for Community Based Work Study positions!

These employment opportunities foster partnerships between Carleton and community organizations with our students serving as the bridge. The CCCE works with our community partners to develop and recruit for these work opportunities, and hiring and supervising is handled directly by the organization. Examples of organizations we partner with are Sharing Our Roots Farm, Faribault Public Schools, and the Northfield Public Library.

Community Based Work Study positions provide many benefits to community partners and students alike. By hosting Carleton students, organizations gain additional staff capacity and further their engagement with the Carleton student community. Through these roles, students are able to contribute in direct and meaningful ways to our community partners’ work while they simultaneously gain professional experience, develop skills and build relationships with community members

If you are interested in becoming a host for a Community Based Work Study position, please reach out to the Manager of Student Development Programs, Danielle Trajano (dtrajano@carleton.edu).

Summer Internships

Thank you for your interest in hiring Carleton students! The Career Center, the Chaplain’s office and the CCCE facilitate internship opportunities. Carleton College uses Handshake to post jobs and internships and collect candidate application materials and host virtual interviews. Winter Break is an excellent time to post summer internships as students are beginning to plan ahead for their summer experiences.

Local Digital Storymaps: Viking Terrace, Public Parks, and Affordable Housing

Resources for Advancing Equity through Community and Civic Engagement

In June of 2021, the CCCE facilitated a two-day workshop focusing on participatory co-creation among community members, students, staff, and faculty to be ethical in our action and advance social and racial justice. 

We created a website, Shaping Our Shared Future Together, based on key ideas from community knowledge holders in Rice County, MN and members of Carleton College that surfaced through this workshop. We hope these reflections and recommendations prove useful in community-institutional partnership development.  


Collage of images from various community collaborations. Text reads "Working together for a better community."