Civic Engagement and Community Partnerships

When the world calls, we answer

Because ideas and experiences shouldn’t be limited by resources, Colby invites enlightened investors to shape opportunities for students to deepen their education and improve their life outcomes through a new model for the liberal arts. Our new DavisConnects program guarantees a global experience for all students, regardless of financial ability, or personal and professional relationships. This makes Colby the first leading liberal arts college to provide funding that gives every student unparalleled access to internships, research, and global experiences.

Opportunities surround us in abundance

At its core Colby must be the best of what it wants its students to become—intellectual, engaged, equitable, ethical, inclusive, and innovative. Colby is committed to aggressively recruiting highly-qualified students from every social, cultural, and geographic background. Students experiencing a diverse campus population are afforded the opportunity to develop enriched points of view born of robust social discourse that help shape values and a commitment to civic engagement. Financial aid awards can promote student college success by fostering student engagement without regard to financial hardship.

We go over or through, never around

Colby has embraced a transformational vision of vibrant, healthy communities alongside academic exploration. This strategy permeates our culture and drives our goals for fitness, wellness, and athletics. Dramatic recent advances and major investments in modern, comprehensive athletic facilities—including the finest and most versatile venues for practice, competition, and recreation—are rapidly setting Colby apart from its peers. Colby is prioritizing and redefining the highest standard for intercollegiate athletics with its commitment to world-class fitness, wellness, and athletic venues. With further sustaining investments, expansive opportunities exist to seize leadership roles across a multitude of fitness, wellness, and athletic programs and facilities, benefiting the Colby community and all of New England.

Our ambitions in action

A powerful foundation for creativity, dialogue and risk-taking, the arts at Colby are integral to empowering individuals and preparing them to deal with complexity, diversity and change. More than a space, a place or hub, the Arts and Innovation Center will serve as a creative laboratory for the performing arts as well as for envisioning new ways of interpreting the curriculum. This includes building uniquely flexible, multipurpose spaces for teaching, performing, working, and creating, and the use of multimedia and interactive technologies.

We prove what’s possible

Since our founding, Colby has been committed to community. Today, this means engaging with Waterville and others to create an ecosystem in our city conducive to long-term economic growth and where our students and community can be engaged, supported, and successful—all while encouraging investors to participate. To catalyze investment and growth, Colby and our partners have a plan for revitalizing Main Street that imagines multiple concurrent development projects to create residential density, attract high-tech jobs, increase visitors, and improve quality of life. The plan calls for short- and long-term actionable items to radically improve downtown Waterville. As we see it, soon the city will be alive with pivotal activities where history is honored, and new stories are written in reimagined spaces brimming with promise and civic opportunity.