What is “Engage for Change”?
"Engage for Change" is a year of service, advocacy, philanthropy and education around a single theme for social action. The idea was born in the spring of 2006 from a group of students who wanted to pool their energy and resources around the same issue, instead of working separately. The effort now includes faculty, staff and community members.
 
Values of the Engage for Change Movement
 The Engage for Change movement began because a group of students wanted to pull together energy and resources so that campus programming around social change could be more cohesive instead of divisive.  While each year the movement will focus on a particular theme, the Engage for Change movement will always have a set of values guiding each year’s programming:

• Collaboration – Involvement and impact certainly increases when we all work together.  Instead of competing for the energy and resources of the student population, Engage for Change hopes to bring students, faculty, staff and community members together to create a synergy around community engagement.
• Sustainability – When the movement was created, the students, faculty, staff and community members were intentional about creating systems that will help Engage for Change be an integral part of the campus culture for years to come.
• Building / strengthening our already strong resources – Our community, both on campus and off, is a source of community assets.  Engage for Change seeks to support and build upon what already exists in our community.  The movement does not seek to establish yet another organization, but to support those that have strong relationships with our community partners.
• Leadership for social change - There are many events and programs from which to choose on the Davidson College campus.  As already references, Engage for Change does not wish to duplicate programming, but to be intentional about its efforts.  At the heart of the movement is the principle that we all have a role to play in strengthening and maintaining our communities.
• Dialogue – To learn from one another we must not only communicate what we are doing, but share the amazing experiences we are having.  This will ensure that the above-stated values are reinforced.  

Steering Group
Engage for Change has been intentionally organized to empower many individuals.  There is not one leader of Engage for Change, but a Steering Committee that works through the Community Service Office. The Steering Committee works with the focus groups to coordinate efforts, communicates with the campus community and coordinates efforts to develop programming in the fall and spring.