Want to get involved on campus and in the community? With Civic Engagement at Wilkes, you will. We open doors to a variety of opportunities for you to build empathy, self-awareness and leadership skills through service to others. If you're ready, sign up to volunteer today!
Volunteer with Civic Engagement
Current Volunteer Opportunities
If you want to get more involved but aren't sure how, reach out to Catie Becker.
Civic Engagement Opportunities
ASB Program
We cultivate community engaged leaders and learners through our Alternative Break trips that offers students, staff, and faculty immersive travel experiences throughout our city, state, nation, and beyond.
Taking the lead
Our team of student leaders coordinates weekly, immersive and one-time volunteer programs and opportunities in the local, regional and global community.
Federal work-study
Work alongside community partners to serve those in the greater Wilkes-Barre community with numerous federal work study opportunities.
Strength in numbers
We facilitate community engagement activities for student clubs, academic organizations and athletic teams who want to share their specialized skills and knowledge with the community.
Academic opportunities
We support student scholarship through conference participation and presentations. Students have attended the IMPACT Conference external website, the Student Veterans of America National Conference external website, and the Bonner Summer Leadership Institute external website.
Going beyond campus
Civic Engagement works with other campus offices and departments to ensure that students have the opportunity to take their learning beyond campus and turn their community into their classroom.
Why take part in Civic Engagement?
Service. Collaboration. Outreach. At Wilkes, these aren’t just buzzwords. They’re part of who we are as a campus, with students, clubs, athletics, faculty, staff and administrators all saying yes to community outreach to better understand the root causes and interconnectedness between societal issues. Here, students move beyond volunteerism to understand the power of community partnerships and serving our neighbors while also making it a priority in their values and actions.
You’ll see campus wide events that focus on giving back throughout the year at Wilkes! From blood drives on campus, to food distributions across Luzerne County, the Big Event in the spring, and travel with the Alternative Break program, there’s something for everyone.
Volunteering gives you the chance to meet other Colonels and have fun while growing your understanding of local, national and international issues. Build your empathy, self-awareness and leadership skills while helping others at the other end of the block or on the other side of the world. While you collaborate with peers, service organizations and agency partners, you’ll discover creative solutions with the potential to lead to positive, impactful and sustainable change. As your involvement grows, so will your confidence and creativity, helping you stand up and stand out regardless of your chosen major or future career path.
Signature Projects
The Big Event
Our hallmark event. Each year students, staff, faculty and alumni volunteer for The Big Event, a community service day that gives our campus a chance to give back to Luzerne County.
Alternative Break Trips
Leap into action and hit the road on one of our alternative break trips. Fall break trips stick closer to home, while spring break volunteers venture to national and international locations.
Red Cross Blood Drives
Wilkes partners with the American Red Cross several times a year to perform blood drives on campus to help ensure blood is accessible to the community when needed.
Creatively Connect and Serve
Interested in taking on a more serious role in your community? The Bonner Leader Program offers students the chance to join like-minded students throughout a four year service journey and gain access to a community of more than 15,000 alumni - the Bonner Foundation external website.
units of blood collected in four years by Wilkes University blood drives, helping the American Red Cross save lives.
pounds of food distributed by the Colonel’s Cupboard on-campus food pantry through Americorps VISTA’s Healthy Futures program.
hours of community outreach provided by Wilkes students, faculty and staff to local agencies in the 2024-2025 academic year.
This trip inspired me to keep doing more, whether it's for the Guanin organization or for others in different parts of the world. The people, the culture, the nature, everything that I got to experience during this trip was inspiring and I just hope I get to keep doing more of them!
Brenda Arias - Bonner Leader '25
Civic Engagement has allowed me to learn about new cultures, make significant community impact and allowed me to make new friendships at Wilkes.
Dylan Womelsdorf - MBA '23
Who We Are
Mission
Give. Serve. Engage.
The office of civic engagement at Wilkes University supports and enhances the academic, personal and professional development of students, staff and faculty by coordinating service and leadership experiences on campus and throughout the local and global community.
Vision
The civic engagement office serves as a resource for connecting the campus community with the greater Wilkes-Barre community and surrounding areas.
The office will fulfill its mission by creating innovative experiences that emphasize human relationships, exposure to new cultures and ideas, and engagement in dialogue that focuses on growth and leadership, all with the goal of developing individuals that commit to practicing service long after graduation. Work done in this capacity will allow students to thrive both academically and personally by drawing parallels between their classroom experiences and those they encounter through service.
Statement of Values
These values guide all programming done by the civic engagement office of Wilkes University:
- Personal Development
- Servant Leadership
- Action
- Advocacy
- Teamwork
- Creativity
- Confidence
- Fun
- Gratitude
- Empowerment
- Communication
- Risk-Taking
- Growth
- Adventure
