Franklin & Marshall College

We help students move beyond passive participation to become agents of change.

At The Ware Institute for Civic Engagement, we empower students by fostering high-quality, transformative experiential learning opportunities.

Lancaster provides an ideal training ground for the future roles of citizenship and stewardship. The Ware Institute has forged relationships with community leaders and provides a wide range of service and learning opportunities for students who have a strong desire to help make a difference in their school, their community, and their world.

We help students find volunteer opportunities in a wide range of areas. Students can tutor school children at local elementary or secondary schools, help serve meals at a local soup kitchen, organize food and clothing drives and assist resettled refugees who are adjusting to life in Lancaster.

In addition, the Ware Institute collaborates with faculty to develop community-based learning (CBL) courses and summer international CBL courses. We have several unique, local summer paid internships with key community partners and organize the annual Putting It Together in the Community (PIT) program for first-year students. The Ware Institute initiates and helps support many other service-related programs and opportunities for students who wish to be engaged with the community throughout their college career.