Community Fellows Program
Now in its 26th year, the Community Fellows program is a unique partnership between Vassar College and local non-profit and governmental agencies. The Office of Community-Engaged Learning (OCEL) aims to build long-term, mutually beneficial partnerships with community organizations in Poughkeepsie, Dutchess County, and the greater Hudson Valley. By developing and centering partnerships, the OCEL provides students with the opportunity to learn alongside community partner organizations and make real-world connections to enhance their academic experiences.
Students apply to organizations and projects that align with their social justice passions to enhance their academic learning goals. Our partner organizations serve as co-educators and co-mentors of our Vassar students. The OCEL funds the Vassar students in an effort to best support community-based organizations in the Poughkeepsie area. This is a highly competitive program for students and presents an exciting educational opportunity for them to gain more in-depth experience with a community partner and learn from them.
The Community Fellows Program upholds the college’s mission by engaging students and community partners in the following ways:
- Supporting capacity building with community partners by responding to community-identified projects
- Providing students with an opportunity to experience meaningful work in non-profit and governmental sectors
- Investing in the future of our community through public scholarship and engagement
- Enhancing the relevance of a liberal arts education to a purposeful life
Previous Community Fellows
2023
Alma Elías Nájera ’25, Newburgh LGBTQ+ Center
Arlo Povill ’24, The Art Effect
Charles From ’25, DAY ONE Early Learning Community
Lauren Johns ’24, Center for Victim Safety and Support (CVSS) at Family Services
Mariya Novosad ’26, Exodus Transitional Community
Melissa Sebastian Tomas ’25, Dutchess Outreach
Samara Corbin ’25, DAY ONE Early Learning Community
Simon Lewis ’25, Finish Strong Wellness Center
Soren Liu ’24, ArlingtonON PAR
Zerah Ruiz ’25, Celebrating the African Spirit
2022
- Celebrating the African Spirit
- DAY ONE Early Learning Community
- Dutchess County Public Defender
- Finish Strong Wellness Center
- For the Many
- Newburgh LGBTQ+ Center
- Persist Nashville
- Poughkeepsie Farm Project
- Poughkeepsie Mothers Project
- Roosevelt Vanderbilt National Historic Site
- The Art Effect
2021
- The Art Effect
- Arts Mid-Hudson
- Celebrating the African Spirit
- Exodus Transitional Community Inc.
- Nobody Leaves Mid-Hudson, currently, For the Many
- Nashville Entrepreneurship Center
- Newburgh LGBTQ+ Center
- Persist Nashville
- Poughkeepsie Children's Cabinet
- Poughkeepsie Farm Project
- Poughkeepsie Mothers Project
- R.E.A.L. Skills Network, Inc.
- Roosevelt Vanderbilt National Historic Site
Read about the 2021 Community Fellows program in the final projects booklet and in the Vassar article Community Fellows Program Gives Students an Unforgettable Summer.
2020
15 students participated in the 2020 Community Fellows program. We are thrilled to have partnered with the following organizations:
- End New Jim Crow Action Network (E.N.J.A.N.)
- Exodus Transitional Community
- Nobody Leaves Mid-Hudson
- City of Poughkeepsie Common Council
- The Mediation Center of Dutchess County
- Barrett Art Center
- Fallkill Creative Works
- The Art Effect
- Rural and Migrant Ministry Inc.
- Poughkeepsie Farm Project
- Poughkeepsie Mother’s Project, HRH Care Community Health
- Persist Nashville
View the 2020 Community Fellows Symposium & Celebration.
Read about the 2020 Community Fellows program in the final projects booklet and in the Vassar article Community Fellows Program Extends Its Reach to Help Those in Need.