Central College

A pillar of a Central College education is community service and civic engagement. In Spring 2025, 44 Central students are participating in a service-learning opportunity to build civic engagement.

Pillars of a Central College education are community service and civic engagement. In Fall 2024, Central students participate in a community-engaged learning opportunity to build civic engagement.

A pillar of a Central College education is community service and civic engagement. In Spring 2024, 115 Central students are participating in a service-learning opportunity to build civic engagement.

Central College student ambassadors visited their hometown high schools to share the Central experience.

95 Central College students engage in service-learning experiences during the Spring 2020 semester.

Central College mathematics course 116 members organized a campus visit and pen pal program with students in Findley Elemenatry School in Des Moines. The course concluded with packing more than 50 care packages for each student. The course is taught by Russell Goodman, professor of mathematics.

19 Central College students in Introduction to Angling, an exercise science course, helped place 300 trees attached to cinder blocks on the ice at Roberts Creek. When the ice melts, the structure will provide sustainable habitat for fish in Lake Red Rock. The project was done in cooperation with the Marion County Conservation. It was part of the global sustainability portion of the course, which introduces the basic skills, theory and equipment necessary to begin the development of lifelong angling skills.

Central College students in the Fall 2022 Conservation Biology and Ecology of Iowa class took part in the seeding of a new prairie around Lake Red Rock dam.

21 Central College students in Introduction to Angling, an exercise science course, helped place 175 trees attached to cinder blocks on the ice at Roberts Creek. When the ice melts, the structure will provide sustainable habitat for fish in Lake Red Rock. The project was done in cooperation with the Marion County Parks officers. It was part of the global sustainability portion of the course, which introduces the basic skills, theory and equipment necessary to begin the development of lifelong angling skills.

Sometimes, all it takes is a tie blanket and a visit from college students to brighten the lives of local nursing home residents. Students in Laps of Love create hand-tied blankets for local seniors.

Central College student Trevor Huizenga spent his winter break doing community service in Illinois and Missouri.

Environmental studies major Rachel Frana '15 is using GIS mapping technology to help food pantries identify underserved areas of Des Moines.

The following local students from Central College volunteered for Superstorm Sandy clean-up in New York:

The following local students volunteered on a mission trip in McAllen, Texas, during winter break at Central College:

During their fall break, 18 students from Central College in Pella, Iowa, traveled to Esperance and Schoharie in New York to help clean up some of the destruction caused by Hurricane Irene in August. These students included: