Community Initiatives
The Jandon Center engages faculty, students, and community partners on social-change projects that tackle community-driven goals.
Through experiential learning and scholarship, students build essential capacities in critical thinking while providing significant leadership on urgent, complex issues facing communities and society.
Smith Alliance for Justice & Equity
Jandon Activist Fellowship
The Jandon Center for Community Engagement at Smith College supports students, faculty and campus partners to advance social equity by supporting vibrant and healthy communities. The Center seeks students motivated to continue or pursue activist work with community partners. Successful applicants for The Jandon Activist Fellowship (JAF) will be paid to work closely with a community partner(s) or project(s). Please contact Nancy Zigler (nzigler@smith.edu) for more information.
Math Resilience Project
STEAM Outreach
The STEAM Team is composed of Smith undergraduates interested in increasing access to science, technology, engineering, art, and math at Smith College and the surrounding communities. Members have a passion for connecting STEAM-related content, inspirational activities, and experiential learning opportunities with community needs.
Food Rescue Network
The Smith College Food Rescue Network was founded in the Spring of 2022 by Smith alumna Shastia Azulay. As a Jandon Activist Fellow, Shastia created a system where volunteers collect excess prepared food from the dining halls and deliver it to Manna Community Kitchen. Manna then distributes this food through community meals and home deliveries for free to community members experiencing food insecurity. This program currently runs out of the Jandon Center and is coordinated by a full-time AmeriCorps VISTA member. Over 30 student volunteers make FRN operations possible and we have passed 20,000 pounds of food rescued since September of 2022.
In addition to food rescue, FRN supports academic endeavors by mentoring STRIDE and AEMES research scholars, collaborating with classes such as the Critical Design Thinking course, and by sharing information about food and climate justice. This fall, we live-streamed a Food Rescue Conference to learn about food donor relationships, measuring impact, and college campus food recovery from several industry leaders.
Follow us on instagram @smithfoodrescue for updates! You can contact the Food Rescue Network Coordinator, Autumn, at aguntor@smith.edu for more information.
Student Spotlight
For Volunteers
Walking
If you don't drive there are several partnering agencies within walking distance or on a bus route. If you do walk, please be aware of your surroundings. Set up a time to talk with someone in the Jandon Center to find out about some of these opportunities.
Bus
If your community service activity is on a bus route, check the PVTA bus schedule.
Private Vehicle
The Jandon Center's transportation policy does not allow students to use their own private vehicle to drive other students or program participants for Jandon or CSO-sponsored community service projects.
Smith College Vans
The Jandon Center maintains four vehicles to assist students in getting to community service partner organizations, Jandon Center-related initiatives and projects, and religious services.
First-Time and Returning Users: before reserving a van, you must ensure that you are up to date on your Smith College Van Certification. Students are required to get recertified every school year. Please follow the steps below to begin or confirm your driver credentialing:
- Upload your information to this web page: Five College Driver Credentialing.
- Review this driver safety presentation: Driver Safety Presentation.
- Complete the defensive driving course available on this website: Five College Driver Safety Fundamentals.
Once you have completed these steps, you will be cleared to start driving Smith vans (both for the Jandon Center and any other Smith programs).
Reserving a Jandon Van:
- Complete this online form with the date of your trip so we can connect the reservation to your Smith email.
- Vans are not guaranteed until you have received an email confirmation.
- Be on the lookout for an individualized email confirming your scheduled day/time (recurring each week for weekly programs).
- Collect your key packet Monday-Friday between 9am and 4pm the week that you will be using the van.
Keys are located in the Jandon Center, room 013 on the lower level of Wright Hall. The Jandon Center vans are located in the Helen Hills Hills Chapel parking lot.
Before You Leave:
- You must complete the pre-visit form digitally using your phone (if you do not have a smartphone, one of your passengers can likely assist).
- Scan the QR code attached to the key using your camera app and complete the required fields.
- Only approved, certified drivers will be able to submit this form.
- You may only leave campus once the pre-visit form is submitted.
When You Return:
- Park in one of the four Jandon Center/CSO parking spaces in the Chapel parking lot.
- Check your email for the link to the post-visit form.
- You must complete this form immediately upon return from every trip, while still at the van, in order to accurately report the odometer reading.
- Return key and key packet in the Chapel dropbox or to the Jandon Center.
Chapel drop box is located on the outside of the chapel. Go down the external staircase located on the side of the building across from the van parking spots. The drop box is a mailbox-like slot in the lower level door. You may return key packs to the Jandon Center from Monday-Friday between 9am and 4pm.
Thank you for your commitment to community engagement! Here are the next steps you need to complete before beginning working with minors.
1. Complete a Smith CORI
If you will be working with children under 18, you must complete Minor Safety Certification and an in-person CORI certification with the Office of Student Affairs.
You will need to bring a government-issued photo ID to your appointment.
The CORI process can take a while after you submit all your information, so do this as soon as possible.
2. Complete Two Virtual Child Safety Trainings
Complete the trainings on the Risk Management Portal.
Please contact Hannah Gates, Community Engagement Coordinator, at hgates@smith.edu if you have any questions or have trouble accessing the two modules.