MISSION

The mission of the Community Engagement House is to promote a community in which college and seminary students, faculty, and staff as well as residents of surrounding areas are welcome.

We aim to achieve this goal by hosting events open to all races, genders, ethnicities, religions, socioeconomic statuses, and sexual identities. We facilitate networking, and work to help our community members to better understand one another by providing a physical meeting place for organizations devoted to engaging the community.

WHO ARE WE?

The Community Engagement House is a themed house advised by the Office of Civic Engagement. The Community Engagement House seeks to bridge the gap between the college and the surrounding areas through conversation and active outreach. Residents are chosen through an application process each spring, and they work together to plan and carry out events throughout the academic year.

WHAT DO WE DO?
  • We promote the idea of a civically engaged campus, bridging the gap between college and community by promoting conversations around difference. We serve as a hub for community engagement and invite the entire community to join an ongoing conversation about how we can positively connect and learn about one another.
  • We host monthly Coffee and Conversations featuring community members, alumni or faculty (from within the University or Sewanee, Monteagle, Tracy City, Winchester, Cowan, etc.) who offer unique and valuable perspectives on the Sewanee community and beyond.
  • We host one other community-based event per month unique to the season and the need of the community, such as our annual Porch Light; CarnEvil; Study Abroad Panels; Can Helping Hurt? Service, Outreach, and Voluntourism; and Around the World: A Celebration of Break Experiences.
  • Residents of the House remain open and available to answer questions and provide guidance to anyone interested in civic engagement. The House serves as a meeting place for any and all organizations that wish to utilize a common area.
  • We pursue our own individual community-driven interests through participation in outside organizations.