First Days Program: First Days is a four-day orientation program in which MCLA introduces incoming freshmen to the college and the resources of North Adams. At the Center for Service and Citizenship at MCLA, we feel it is our responsibility to help students build a strong relationship with the local community. We encourage them to contribute their time and energy to service programs that benefit the area. This commitment can strengthen the community by helping students gain a greater awareness of their surroundings and what they can do to have a positive impact in their new home.

Coat Drive: Every year, the Center for Service at MCLA works with the Berkshire Community Action Council to bring warm winter coats to families in our community. The BCAC has many programs that help our neighbors when times are tough. It runs a variety of programs designed to assist people to move from assistance to self sufficiency.

Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week: During the week of November 12 through November 17, the Center sponsors daily events that would raise awarness about the hunger and homeless situation in USA and the world. For example, Monday night was Night without a Home: Nearly thirty MCLA students were sponsored to spend the night on the Academic Quad. Tuesday was Hunger Fast: from 9am to 9pm, students fasted to raise awareness of hunger issues. When others asked why they weren’t eating, student’s responded that they were choosing to, but that many people don’t have that choice. Wednesday evening was Jam the Van: students came and donated food for the needy, literally jamming a van in the Townhouse Firelane full of canned goods, cereals, etc. The week ended Friday with a photo display in the Marketplace of the week’s events. All the money and food collected was donated to local organization that target hunger and homeless in the Berkshire area.

BISA Conference: The Berkshire Institute for Student Activism is a conference to facilitate student involvement and responsibility to the Northern Berkshire area. This conference was held at Williams College, the conference had forums where they address local issues, Berkshire student activists will connect their collective resources and create regional strategies to solve community-identified problems. The institute will revolve around small, theme-based action groups of students from the various schools who will work with an advising community activist. At the beginning of the weekend, the advising community leader will present the group with a challenge facing the Berkshires. The group will using student, college and community resources, to work towards a regional solution. At the end of the institute, students will frame a regional action plan from which college-community partnerships can be developed, informed, and guided by.