Leadership, Advocacy & Service
According to our mission statement, Hamilton “prepares students for lives of meaning, purpose, and active citizenship … to effect positive change in the world.” We fulfill those objectives by providing students with abundant opportunities for leadership, advocacy, and service.
Leadership
We believe that everyone has the capability to have a positive influence on their community. We offer a variety of opportunities for students to develop leadership skills and put them into practice on campus, in the surrounding area, and throughout the world.
Community Advisors
As a residential liberal arts college, Hamilton recognizes and values the learning opportunities that occur when living with peers in a small community. Each residence and/or floor has a Community Advisor (CA) who acts as a peer listener and programmer, as well as provides guidance on all aspects of college life.
Student Organizations
As a member of a student organization, you’ll gain leadership training and develop cultural awareness, along with communication, budgeting, event-planning, and problem-solving skills.
Levitt Leadership Workshops & Institute
The Levitt Leadership Institute promotes students’ understandings of the relationship between mobilizing people and developing social policy. Its mission is to help students recognize, develop, and practice the kinds of leadership skills and ways of being a leader that are essential for creating personal and societal changes in the current historical moment.
Outdoor Leadership
Our Outdoor Leadership program takes advantage of local trails, rivers, lakes, and mountains in the Mohawk Valley and nearby Adirondack Park. In addition, Hamilton’s campus includes acres of hiking, biking, snowshoe, and cross country ski trails. You'll find opportunities to learn outdoor skills, develop advanced leadership skills, and appreciate nature.
Advocacy & Activism
Colleges and universities have long served as incubators of social movements, advancing changes in social, economic, environmental, and cultural policies and practices. At Hamilton, we support students as they develop their identities as advocates of equitable practice for the common good.
Levitt Public Affairs Center
Hamilton’s Arthur Levitt Public Affairs Center is a campus hub for student change-makers interested in combining academic knowledge with practical skills to address persistent social problems in innovative and ethical ways.
Common Ground
Hamilton’s widely acclaimed program brings to campus highly respected thought leaders who engage in discussion that explores cross-boundary political thought and complex social issues. Common Ground speakers visit classes for small-group discussions where students can ask questions and explore different perspectives, all while articulating and formulating their own viewpoints on pressing issues. Speakers also take center stage for presentations that feature balance and inclusion of differing viewpoints, where they model the kind of respectful dialogue that should occur throughout our communities.
Sustainability
Hamilton is committed to providing students with the knowledge needed to contribute to local and global sustainability efforts.
Community Service
Through direct service volunteering, internships, philanthropy, awareness, and fundraising initiatives, Hamilton students make lasting contributions to the well-being of the off-campus community.
Community Opportunity & Outreach Project (COOP)
The COOP connects students with Oneida County nonprofit agencies, creating positive change for community partners as well as educational experiences for students. Examples include tutoring programs such as Hamilton Reads and SAT Prep; serving as mentors with Strong Girls and the Midtown Utica Community Center (MUCC); and Harvest food recovery.
Hamilton Association for Volunteering, Outreach & Charity (HAVOC)
HAVOC offers numerous direct community service opportunities in various fields such as education, animal care, and rehabilitation centers. Fundraising initiatives like bake sales, dodgeball tournaments, and holiday giving trees support a range of causes and organizations. Events include Make A Difference Day and MLK, Jr. Day of Service, where over 200 Hamilton students dedicate a Saturday afternoon to volunteering at a HAVOC site, and a campus favorite, Paws to Relax that brings pets to campus during finals week to help students destress while simultaneously helping support a local animal shelter.
Alternative Spring Break
Every year more than 100 Hamilton students spend a week of their spring break volunteering at nonprofit organizations. Student leaders plan the trips and assume responsibility for their success.
