Carleton students are busy with more than just school work and fun; they're also very involved in Northfield and its surrounding communities. In fact, Carls collectively log some 4,000 hours in volunteer work each term. And student volunteers often find their experiences in the community provide a much better understanding of the real world than any coursework can give them.

Most of Carleton's volunteer efforts—whether by individual students or any of over a dozen student service organizations—are coordinated by the ACT Center.