The John J. Binienda Center serves as a hub for civic engagement activities at Worcester State University.

We support students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community partners in developing, implementing, and evaluating high impact community engagement initiatives, including community engaged teaching, research, and creative work, both inside and outside of the classroom. Our philosophy is to approach all civic engagement activities with a desire to cultivate student leaders through public service and volunteer engagement, strengthen communities, and advance civic education.

As a public higher education institution anchored in Worcester, our Center’s activities deepen our connection to the city while creating avenues for social impact on a global scale. We lead our public service efforts in honor of former Massachusetts State Representative John J. Binienda and his family.

Worcester State University proudly holds the prestigious Carnegie Classification for Community Engagement and identifies Engaged Citizenship as a core institutional value, reflecting a commitment to community service, social justice, the democratic process, environmental sustainability, and global awareness in preparing students to be active and informed citizens. We embrace the Carnegie Foundation’s definition of “community engagement” as a guiding framework for our work.

Community engagement describes collaboration between institutions of higher education and their larger communities (local, regional/state, national, global) for the mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and resources in a context of partnership and reciprocity. The purpose of community engagement is the partnership of college and university knowledge and resources with those of the public and private sectors to enrich scholarship, research, and creative activity; enhance curriculum, teaching, and learning; prepare educated, engaged citizens; strengthen democratic values and civic responsibility; address critical societal issues; and contribute to the public good.