Transform passion into purpose-driven action. As the central hub for community-engaged
learning, F&M’s Ware Institute for Civic Engagement empowers you to turn bold ideas
into real-world solutions, forge meaningful connections, and lead positive growth
in our home city of Lancaster.
Being a Diplomat means becoming a thoughtful and active member of a community. At
the Ware Institute for Civic Engagement, we give you the platform to become an integral
part of the Lancaster story and culture.
The Ware Institute offers a dynamic and collaborative space where you can explore
how your passions can make an impact. Here, you can dare to dream and embark on innovative
and collaborative experiences that address real-world challenges, build connections
with neighbors who share a vision for positive change, and develop essential skills
in leadership and communication.
You can become a driving force for positive impact with opportunities to:
Pitch your boldest, most innovative ideas during dedicated "Dreaming Hours"
Collaborate with like-minded students who share your passion for making the world a better place
Connect with local Lancaster leaders through hands-on mentorships
Engage in the community through service-learning, volunteer work, and experiential courses
Build collaborative partnerships with neighborhood organizations tackling real-world challenges
Grow as a leader through civically minded skill development and training
Community Collaborators
Across the city and county, our faculty, students, and staff work alongside community
partners on research, education, service, the arts, public health, and more. Explore
the interactive map below to see some examples of how F&M faculty and students are
actively collaborating with community partners!
Living and Learning in Our Home City
Learn more about how our home city of Lancaster is an integral educational partner
teeming with opportunities to learn, serve, and engage with the local community.
Moana Franco ’25 spent a summer working with The Edible Classroom, a Lancaster-based
nonprofit that partners with schools and communities to create educational gardens.
Franco landed the role through the Ware Institute's Public Service Summer Institute
(PSSI).
“I saw it as a wonderful opportunity to understand more about running a nonprofit
organization, connect more closely with the Lancaster community, and meet new individuals,”
she said.
Finding Culture & Community Through Lancaster Internship
When she transferred to F&M, Teagan Durkin ’26 set a goal to expand her professional
portfolio and become further immersed in LGBTQIA+ culture and community. The Ware
Institute's Public Service Summer Institute (PSSI) helped her achieve both by connecting
her with a Lancaster Pride internship.
“I was responsible for researching and creating a presentation around how Lancaster
Pride can become better connected with and support LGBTQIA+ folks within the realms
of legal systems, education, safe spaces, community engagement, and health and wellness,”
Durkin said. “Additionally, I was heavily involved in the nonprofit's various events:
the annual Lancaster Pride Festival, various vigils, and fundraisers like pool parties
and a trip to New York City for a Broadway show.”
The Ware Institute provides year-round opportunities for you to engage in community
within and beyond Lancaster, from volunteering to mentoring to alternative break trips
with on-campus student-led organizations.
Community-Based Learning
Learning by doing is in our DNA as Diplomats. Your professors bring real-world challenges
directly into the classroom through immersive, hands-on projects across Lancaster.
Whether partnering with local school districts, driving environmental restoration
projects, or collaborating on civic initiatives, you’ll transform academic concepts
into meaningful community impact.
Civic Leadership
Learn how to harness your strengths and develop a keen growth mindset. Through immersive
initiatives such as the Harwood Leadership Seminar and Diplomat Leadership Program, you’ll participate in leadership workshops, off-campus excursions, and service-learning
projects designed to guide and mentor you through your personal leadership journey.
Ware Civic Engagement Advocates
The Ware Civic Engagement Advocate program is an opportunity for current F&M students
to serve alongside a cohort of students who share a passion for making the world a
better place. Working alongside a community mentor, you’ll master best practices in
civic engagement, help shape F&M’s community engagement initiatives, and receive dedicated
support to bring your own projects to life.
Public Service Summer Institute (PSSI)
Spend eight weeks immersing yourself in local public service. Open to 12-15 rising
juniors and seniors, F&M’s Public Service Summer Institute (PSSI) pairs you with a
summer internship with a Lancaster nonprofit. Each week, you and your peers will join
together to explore broader community issues and network with local stakeholders.
You will be compensated by the College for the eight-week experience (housing is not
included).
Squash Aces Mentoring
Squash Aces Mentoring partners with the neighboring School District of Lancaster to
pair an F&M student with a middle school or high school student. As an F&M student,
you support your mentee’s academic progress and facilitate group bonding activities
both on and off campus. If you’re a member of either the F&M men’s or women’s Diplomat
squash team, you can bring your mentoring on the court and coach your mentee in the
sport you love.
F&M Dialogues
F&M Dialogues invites current F&M students to build connections and sharpen their
discussion and facilitation skillsets, helping foster constructive, civic communication
across campus.
PIT (Putting It Together in the Community)
A three-day pre-orientation program, PIT immerses you in the culture, history, and
service opportunities of the Lancaster community. Through a combination of service
projects, educational tours, and recreational activities, you will build connections
and develop a deeper understanding of community engagement and will learn to appreciate
Lancaster and what it takes to be a good neighbor during your time at F&M.
A partnership with F&M Athletics, Leadership Lunch and Learns invite F&M alumni to
campus to share leadership lessons with students over shared lunch.
Learn, Serve, Work
September 8, 2026
Lancaster Internship Shapes Pre-Law Path
Molly DeBrandt ’28 transformed academic curiosity into career conviction. As an intern with the Office of the Public Defender of Lancaster County, she stepped directly into the daily realities of public defense and discovered a passion for law. “I now intend to apply to law school following my graduation from F&M,” she said.
‘I Find It Important and Necessary’: Uncovering Lancaster's Hidden History
For Frances Taylor ’27, the Lancaster Vice project checked all the right boxes: collaborating with a faculty mentor, exploring how their two majors converge in the real world, and unearthing stories the city had forgotten. “I enjoy learning about hidden history that popular culture often overlooks,” Taylor said.
F&M and Fulton Bank: Where Liberal Arts and Innovation Meet
For Moemen Ibrahim ’26, an assignment to reach out to a Franklin & Marshall College alumna on LinkedIn led to much more than a career conversation. It became the beginning of an internship and an introduction to the world of innovation at Fulton Bank — and has also led to a full-time job.
F&M’s Public Service Summer Institute (PSSI) brought a cohort of students to meet
with Leonard G. Brown III, President Judge at Lancaster County Court of Common Pleas,
in his courtroom.
F&M’s Public Service Summer Institute (PSSI) brought a cohort of students to meet
with Leonard G. Brown III, President Judge at Lancaster County Court of Common Pleas,
in his courtroom.
PIT is a three-day pre-orientation program that immerses you in the culture, history,
and service opportunities of the Lancaster community. These F&M PIT students volunteered
with West Art, a living room for Lancaster and a sanctuary for all things art.
PIT is a three-day pre-orientation program that immerses you in the culture, history,
and service opportunities of the Lancaster community. These F&M PIT students volunteered
with West Art, a living room for Lancaster and a sanctuary for all things art.
Students involved in F&M’s Public Service Summer Institute (PSSI) visited Fields Edge
Farm in Lititz, Pa., where they discussed the role of crop diversity and harvesting
a row of beets.
Students involved in F&M’s Public Service Summer Institute (PSSI) visited Fields Edge
Farm in Lititz, Pa., where they discussed the role of crop diversity and harvesting
a row of beets.
The Ware Institute provides year-round opportunities for you to engage in community
within and beyond Lancaster. Students have volunteered with Power Packs Project, a
Lancaster nonprofit organization dedicated to ending hunger in local schools over
the weekend, when free school breakfasts and lunches aren’t available.
The Center for the Sustainable Environment and the Ware Institute collaborated to
plant 80 trees on F&M's Baker Campus, contributing to Lancaster's greater sustainability
efforts.
The Center for the Sustainable Environment and the Ware Institute collaborated to
plant 80 trees on F&M's Baker Campus, contributing to Lancaster's greater sustainability
efforts.
The Ware Institute provides year-round opportunities for you to engage in community
within and beyond Lancaster. Students have volunteered to bathe and groom adoptable
pets at a local animal rescue shelter.
Squash ACES is a program that helps local high school students build physical fitness
through the game of squash and good study habits under the mentorship of F&M student
volunteers.
