What starts here can change everything. At Knox, you’ll explore how your actions affect your community, your nation, the world, and the future.
2024 Washington Monthly ranking for Knox’s commitment to community service
Number of Galesburg-area elementary school students supported through Blessings in a Backpack
Pounds of organic materials diverted from the landfill and composted in the last year
There are as many ways to get involved in the Knox and Galesburg communities as there are Knox students. Here are just a few options.
KnoxCorps Fellows work up to 10 hours a week at a host organization in the Galesburg community–including CASA, Thrive Community Services, and the Galesburg Public Library. Treat it like a job–the application process is highly competitive, and training is intense.
Do you dream of serving the nation as a member of the Peace Corps? Nearly 100 percent of the participants in Knox’s Peace Corps Preparatory Program have been accepted. You’ll take coursework focusing on education, health, the environment, agriculture, and economic development.
This student-run organization provides food-insecure kids at local elementary schools with a backpack filled with enough food to make it through the weekend. You’ll gather food, pack backpacks, and deliver them to participating schools.
The easiest way to connect with an organization doing work that’s meaningful to you is to participate in a Day of Service.
Each term, the staff at the Mark & Jeannette Kleine Center for Community Service coordinates a variety of volunteer opportunities for its Day of Service program. You may find yourself taking part in a neighborhood cleanup, staffing a special event like the library book sale or the chocolate festival, or volunteering elsewhere in the community. It’s a great way to get to know Galesburg better and to identify service projects you may want to pursue long term.
Thanks to its strong relationships with local organizations, the Kleine Center is also a great place to find a long-term service project, from tutoring to working with hospice patients.
“My three years as a KnoxCorps associate with the Galesburg Chamber have proven instrumental to my professional development. I had great practice taking initiative on independent projects and sharpened my critical thinking skills.”
Conservation Specialist, Henricopolis Soil & Water Conservation District (Richmond, Virginia)
“The professors and peers I've learned from helped shape my desire to make an impact on these crucial political issues, ones that affect millions around the country and world.”
Director of Public Policy & Advocacy, Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies
“Knox College fostered my passion for community engagement and policy change through immersive experiences, profound leadership opportunities, and engaging class curriculum. Being elected to the Knox College Student Senate also played an instrumental role in fostering my passion for careers in the public sector.”
Graduate Student, O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University
"Working with the Food Recovery Network and Resources to Resources as an undergraduate "helped me connect to Galesburg on a deeper level."
Graduate Student, Department of Planning and Landscape Architecture, University of Wisconsin-Madison