Salem State University Center for Civic Engagement

Home
United States
Salem, MA
Salem State University Center for Civic Engagement

The CCE serves as the nexus for community-based initiatives and civically engaged students

The Center for Civic Engagement serves as the nexus for community-based initiatives and civically engaged learning at Salem State University to promote civic engagement, social justice and connection to place. The CCE is responsible for creating, managing, and promoting programs that connect our students, faculty, staff, and alumni to the greater community. Through reciprocal collaborations design

ed to address public issues and enhance academic learning, the CCE preparing students to understand the importance of community involvement and be well versed in the privileges and responsibilities inherent in citizenship.

05/28/2026

Thursday
This past semester Professor Amy Kunberger in Salem State University Art + Design provided her Graphic Design Portfolio course with the opportunity to work in teams to create branding for a client. This year's client was Explorers Lifelong Learning Institute (LLI) Explorers LLI of SSU. The Institute is a member-directed learning group affiliated with Salem State University, one of more than 400 such organizations in the United States and Canada. Explorers was founded in 1992 and currently has over 300 lively members, mostly retirees with diverse backgrounds. All are passionate learners. Membership is open to anyone fifty years of age or older.

After students researched and met with the client, learning about their needs and desires for new branding, they worked in teams internally for two to three weeks to begin initial drafts and plans. The Explorers team reviewed the various designs, and the board finally decided on the work of Jhuli Verdeiro.

Jhuli presented her work to the organization's members on the morning of Wednesday, May 6, 2026, and she received glowing feedback and appreciation from members of the Explorers program for her impressive work. This new logo will support the organization in modernizing their brand and recruiting new members.

Congratulations Jhuli for your excellent design work and your recent graduation! We know you will continue to go on and do great things.

A special thank you to Professor Kunberger for consistently engaging her students in working with our community to make their branding dreams a reality. These are the high impact experiences that bring student learning to the next level! ✨️ 🎨

05/14/2026

students, faculty and staff had a great time volunteering at on Saturdays in April and early May! A big thanks to Professor Tom Piñeros Shields Civic Engagement 101 students, the Center team, and SSU student volunteers. The Mack Park Team: Matt, Kerry and Gordon are always so welcoming to our campus community. They do an incredible job enhancing local & regional food security by providing healthy, locally grown food, through urban farming. While guiding volunteers, they share their agricultural wisdom and the importance of regenerative farming practices and healthy soil. They also share their expertise on our campus through class presentations and workshops during Earth Week. SSU honored them this year with the 2026 Friend of the Earth Award for their vital work in our community.

05/06/2026

🌟 We would like to recognize and celebrate Senior Program Assistant for Advocacy Programming, Lisa Hart , for being this year’s undergraduate student award recipient of the Office for Inclusive Excellence Catalyst Award! 🌟

Lisa always leads with purpose and innovation. As not only an employee in the CCE, but also a civic engagement fellow, and a member of Bold Empowered Educated Sisters (BEES), she has advanced inclusive, student-centered programming. Through her work, she has helped design and facilitate opportunities for students to build critical advocacy skills preparing peers to become effective agents of change. As a Forten Legacy Scholar, she has also mentored students at Collins Middle School, demonstrating a commitment to leadership development across generations. Her work in mental health advocacy., where she co-led the “Dear Professor, I Am More” campaign, an initiative that used art and dialogue to challenge stigma and promote mental health awareness, helped create our student-led Mental Health Political Advocacy Coalition (MHPAC). Lisa has also engaged in policy advocacy, working with peers to support Massachusetts House Bill H595, which expands access to mental health resources in public schools. She also presented at The NAN Project Annual Mental Health Youth Summit, leading a session that supported high school students in navigating the transition to college and extending her impact through education and mentorship. The ways Annalisse carries her leadership across all aspects of her life make her a true Catalyst. Congratulations, Lisa!

05/04/2026

We're Hiring!

The Center for Civic Engagement (CCE) is the nexus for community-based initiatives and civically engaged learning at Salem State University. Established as part of the University’s Strategic Plan to promote civic engagement, social justice, and connection to place, the CCE is responsible for developing and supporting programs that connect SSU students, faculty, staff, and alumni to the greater community. Through reciprocal collaborations designed to address public issues and enhance academic learning, the Center promotes the importance of community involvement and the privileges and responsibilities inherent in civic participation.

The Center for Civic Engagement Program Assistant will aid the associate director, graduate student, and senior program assistant with the organization and implementation of civic engagement programming on campus and in the community. Students will support a variety of projects that support the success of the CCE's programs and initiatives.

If you or someone you know may be interested, email [email protected] for a job description. To formally apply, send a resume and cover letter to Associate Director Kate Adams, [email protected], expressing your interest in the position and why you would be a great addition to our team!

04/29/2026

Join the Center for Civic Engagement at Denim Day! Denim day brings awareness to sexual violence, supporting survivors, and ending r**e culture. Learn how to get involved in community engagement and advocacy opportunities on and off campus! We will be here until 2:00 pm!

04/28/2026

Join us for our final volunteer venture at Mack Park Farm! We've had a lot of fun the last two weeks preparing beds and planting seeds for the growing season! 🌱

This Saturday, May 2, from 9 to 11:30 AM. Transportation is provided from Central Campus at 8:35 and from outside Meier Hall at 8:45. Scan the QR code or visit the link in our bio to register. We hope to see you there!

04/23/2026

Throwback Thursday to our Economic Justice Civic Dinner last month! Thank you very much to the Center for Entrepreneurship, Economic Development, and Sustainability (CEEDS) for your support and collaboration on this event.

Thank you to all of our advocates who joined us, including Nate Berkowitz, Executive Director of Root; Jasmine Graddy, Director of Workforce Development at the North Shore Community Development Coalition; and Eliud Alcala, Deputy Director of the MASSHIRE North Shore Career Center.

We are so grateful to have been able to host such important conversations about equity, workforce development, and how our campus community can support economic justice initiatives!

04/22/2026

🌟 Throwback to our 2026 Civic Engagement Hall of Fame and Carnegie Re-Classification Celebration! 🌟

What a night! To be together in that room, honoring the work of our sixteenth class of Hall of Fame inductees, it served as a testament that there are still people championing work that makes our communites better. Looking at the world right now, its easy to feel hopeless, but these amazing individuals and our campus and community partners remind us not all hope is lost.

We are so grateful to everyone who attended, and to those who couldn't be there, we celebrated with you in spirit. We would like to especially thank our Keynote Speaker and Spring 2026 Fredrick E. Berry Institute of Politics Fellow, Tanisha Sullivan for her timely and impactful remarks. Additionally, we send our gratitude to both President Keenan, as well as Mayor Pangallo for their continued support in honoring inductees each year. This evening also served as recognition of Salem State's Carnegie Re-Classification as a Community Engaged University. This would not have been possible without Lead Author Dr. Cindy Vincent. A special recognition was also bestowed on Catering Supervisor Ashley Velez Rosario for her sustained partnership with our office and her commitment to providing food that uplifts events and is accessible to everyone in the community.

Truly, thank you to everyone for being part of this remarkable evening, we hope to see you next April as we honor our seventeenth class of inductees!

04/16/2026

From our last visit to the Salem Council on Aging on April 13th!

We always love talking and engaging with our friends over at the Council on Aging, creating relationships across generations and learning from one another!

❗️Join us for our next visit on Monday, April 27th from 11:00am - 12:30pm

🚐 Transportaion Provided!
Pickup Location 1: Central Campus at 10:25am
Pickup Location 2: Meier Hall at 10:35am
🍩 Sweet Treats Provided!
🔗 Link to Register in our Linktree

04/14/2026

Join us this Thursday, April 16th from 5:00pm - 7:30pm in Twohig Gym - O’Keefe, the Mental Health Political Advocacy Coalition will be collaborating with Mental Health Declassified, a non-profit championing efforts to de-stigmatize mental health and empower stories of strength, and Salem State’s The Brotherhood in hosting an event dedicated to tackling tough conversations.

Keep Your Head In The Game will feature half-court basketball games and a workshop aimed at addressing the stigma men face around mental health, building strength and resiliency.

Keep Your Head In The Game
📍 Twohig Gym - O’Keefe Center
🗓️ Thursday, April 16th 5:00pm - 7:30pm

04/13/2026

🌟 2026 Civic Engagement Hall of Fame Undergraduate Inductee 🌟

We’re excited to announce our the Undergraduate inductee for our 2026 Civic Engagement Hall of Fame, Dikate O’Neill!

Dikate O’Neill is a junior/senior psychology student at Salem State. Dikate is a dedicated mental health advocate and is active in organizations to cultivate campus belonging and make sure every student feels they have a place on campus.

In 2024, Dikate worked with the Center for Civic Engagement to establish and lead the SSU Mental Health Political Advocacy Coalition. Recognizing the impact of these challenging times, Dikate has been tireless in her outreach efforts to ensure that the Coalition is visible on campus. It offers students outlets for inclusion, helps them find community and is a place to relieve mental stress.

She has been an active member of the Bold Educated Empowered Sisters (BEES) since it was re-established in 2024, and currently serves as social media officer and co-vice president. She participated in SSU’s 2025 Martin Luther King Jr. Convocation speaking panel.

Last summer Dikate completed a psychology internship working at Molo Mhlaba, an all girls primary school, in Khayelitsha Township, Cape Town, South Africa. After graduation, Dikate hopes to enter the Behavioral Health Service Corps at William James College, and pursue a graduate degree in the field of psychology.

Address

352 Lafayette Street , Meier Hall 316 A
Salem, MA
01970

Website

https://www.salemstate.edu/ssuvotes, https://www.salemstate.edu/civicengagement, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBMebh

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Salem State University Center for Civic Engagement posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The University

Send a message to Salem State University Center for Civic Engagement:

Shortcuts

Want your university to be the top-listed University in Salem?