Community Engagement

At Occidental, community engagement is a core aspect of how you learn. You have myriad opportunities to bring your education to life through partnerships, service, and collective impact.

Through longstanding partnerships across Los Angeles, you'll work alongside local organizations, schools, nonprofits, and civic leaders to tackle real challenges with curiosity, humility, and purpose. Oxy’s community engagement programs deepen your education while building relationships that create positive social change for the communities you serve and shape the kind of leader you become.

Ways to Get Involved

Occidental College student talking with a community partner at a local food bank

Learning and Research in Partnership

You can work closely with faculty, peers, and community partners to understand and realize more just, livable, and meaningful communities in Los Angeles. These experiences emphasize sustained relationships, mutual learning, and meaningful community engagement.

Center for Community Based Learning (CCBL)
Urban & Environmental Policy Institute (UEPI)
Community Literacy Center (CLC)
Neighborhood Partnership Program (NPP)
InternLA

Occidental student Tylor Lee talks with an unhoused community member

Civic Engagement and Social Impact

Through these programs, you can advance meaningful change through advocacy, public policy, and community leadership in Los Angeles and across the nation.

Occidental College students at a local farmer's market looking at produce

Student Leadership, Service, and Campus Programs

From clubs and organizations to campus traditions and leadership programs, there are countless ways to get involved from your first semester. Student-led opportunities help you build community, develop leadership skills, and make your mark on campus.

Tavares Strachan and Paul Holdengraber on stage at an Oxy Arts Oxy Live event Sept 2024

Arts and Community Connection

Oxy Arts connects campus and community through exhibitions, performances, and public programs that foster creativity, cultural exchange, and meaningful engagement.