CCE – Center for Continuing Education at Bard College

By Jill Lundquist, Second Vice President

In the fall of 2016, LLI at Bard was put “under the umbrella” of the Center for Civic Engagement (CCE) at Bard College. At the same time, Jonathan Becker, Executive Vice President of the College and the Director of CCE, became our official administrative liaison at the College. In the spring of 2017, LLI President Tom Esposito asked me to serve as the liaison from LLI to CCE and in that role I also serve on the Advisory Board for CCE.

The statement below is the mission statement of the Center for Civic Engagement, which has a remarkable reach into the surrounding local area and the global communities through its extensive programs. I encourage you to browse around the CCE website, http://www.bard.edu/cce/, learn about its many impressive programs.

We have had events at LLI featuring some of them, such as their participation in Jane Diamond and Denise Ryan’s Civic Engagement, Global Crises, and Imperialism courses; LLI Intersession presentations; the Bard Prison Initiative; and Brothers at Bard. But there are many, many more which I am certain you will find of great value and interest.

“The  Center for Civic Engagement at Bard College embodies the fundamental belief that education and civil society are inextricably linked. In an age of information overload, it is more important than ever that citizens be educated and trained to think critically and be actively engaged with issues affecting public life. Through its educational endeavors in the United States and abroad, CCE demonstrates a firm conviction that institutions of higher education can and should operate in the public interest.

CCE and the Bard network use their resources to develop vibrant and sustainable programs that tackle critical issues of education and public policy. With an entrepreneurial spirit and a sense of civic duty inspired by social consciousness, the Center for Civic Engagement creates and sustains reciprocal programs and relationships locally, nationally, and globally .”

You can sign up for the CCE newsletter, read their blog, and check their calendar by simply going to their website, Bard CCE , and clicking on the News and Events tab. CCE may also be found on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Links to each are found at the bottom of every CCE webpage, Bard CCE.

Photo caption: 33 CCE student leaders working with 285 student volunteers impacting 3100+ people in 12 countries.