Community Engagement
At Rollins, we don’t view volunteer hours as a minor component to your education—we see service as a major foundation for leadership and success. It’s baked into our curriculum and threaded throughout our extracurricular programs. It’s even written on our walls in the form of an engraving outside Strong Hall: “Life is for Service.” Our interdisciplinary approach to education prepares you to solve 21st-century problems, and our many service-based programs and initiatives provide ample opportunity to apply that knowledge for good. And that’s not just wishful thinking. Since 2005, nearly 10,000 Tars have contributed more than 40,000 hours of service in their first year alone. From the moment you set foot on campus to the moment you graduate, you’ll be called upon to serve causes big and small, all while gaining valuable leadership experience in and out of the classroom.
Servant Leaders
At Rollins, you’ll learn what it takes to create real, lasting change by serving communities in our backyard and around the world.
- No. 1
in the nation for percentage of students who participate in alternative breaks
- 100+
student clubs and organizations
- No. 1— Florida Campus Compact
Most Engaged Campus
- 1 of 42
Ashoka U Changemaker Campuses in the world
Great at Good
From immersive alternative breaks and community engagement courses to our very own on-campus social innovation incubator, explore a few of the many reasons why Rollins is one of the country’s best colleges at preparing students to lead positive change in the world.
SPARC Day
SPARC, which stands for Service, Passion, Action, Rollins College, is an annual day of service for all incoming first-year and transfer students. SPARC Day encourages new students to engage with and reflect upon the many challenges facing our community and serves as an entry point for Rollins’ emphasis on service learning.
Immersion: Citizens Take Action
This program organizes volunteer opportunities for students looking to spend their school breaks helping others. Rollins regularly ranks No. 1 in the nation for percentage of students who participate in alternative breaks.
Community Engagement Courses
Many Rollins courses are designated Community Engagement (CE) courses, which require students to participate in 15 to 30 hours of community-based work with nonprofit organizations throughout the semester. These courses cover a range of topics across disciplines and allow students to build experience while serving others.
The Democracy Project
The Democracy Project is a student-led, non-partisan organization that encourages members of the Rollins community to engage in the democratic process. Students can register to vote, sign up for absentee ballots, learn about the election process, and more, earning Rollins the title of a voter-friendly campus by a pair of national, nonpartisan organizations.
Bonner Leaders
This cohort-based, service-focused scholarship program pairs undergraduate students with local nonprofits. Over four years, students work with their assigned organizations to help solve problems and address various needs at the local level.
Rollins Social Impact Hub
Located at the heart of campus in Kathleen W. Rollins Hall, the Rollins Social Impact Hub is a creative space for students to put their ideas for change into action. The hub provides resources and tools for students to address local and global issues.
Hub InformationFind Your SPARC
Before you ever set foot in a Rollins classroom, our SPARC Ambassadors in the Center for Leadership & Community Engagement will help you identify the ideas that inspire you, uncover the issues that energize you, and spot the opportunities to put your education into action.
Building a better world, one project at a time.
Service is at the heart of everything we do at Rollins. Take a look at some of the ways our students, faculty, staff, and alumni are changing the world.
September 19, 2024
Stone and Nelson Present at International Social Innovation Conferences
Anne Stone and Melissa Nelson, co-directors of the Social Impact Hub, presented their work at both the 2024 International Social Innovation Research Conference (ISIRC) and the Ashoka Changemaker Summit.
March 01, 2024
Rollins Celebrates Women’s History Month
During the celebration of Women’s History Month, Rollins is honoring the lives and impact of trailblazing women whose contributions and legacy have shaped the fabric of society in the Rollins community and beyond.
February 29, 2024
Passport to Purpose
During spring break, our students have the opportunity to explore real-world issues and grow as global citizens.
February 02, 2024
Rollins Celebrates Black History Month
During the celebration of Black History Month, Rollins pays homage to the rich tapestry of African American history, recognizing the pivotal lives and contributions of Black Americans and providing numerous avenues for education, engagement, and reflection.
January 25, 2024
Learning by Doing
Each year between the fall and spring semesters, enterprising students return to campus a little early to participate in Intersession, a weeklong course dedicated to an interesting subject not typically offered during the regular semester.
November 28, 2023
Spirit of the Land: Unearthing Native American Heritage
With passion and purpose, a cohort of Rollins students set out to explore Native American history on an Immersion experience at Florida’s Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation.
#RollinsLife
See how our students are engaged in their communities through their Instagram posts.
#RollinsLifeVirtual Tour: Experience HQ
Explore Kathleen W. Rollins Hall, our headquarters for applied learning and home to the Center for Leadership & Community Engagement, Social Impact Hub, and more.
A Campus Committed to Change
Rollins is one of just 42 colleges in the world to earn Ashoka U’s Changemaker Campus designation, which recognizes the leading institutions in social innovation and changemaking.
Explore Our Changemaking CampusExplore Our Changemaking Campus