Welcome!
In 2007 WCSC decided to give something to each of its 39 graduates that could be worn at a commencement ceremony, like many other cross-culturals do. (Six of the nine Cords of Distinction recipients were WCSC alumni.
Explore D.C.
...city life, cultural diversity, career-building opportunities, a broad range of university classes, and the connections between faith and work at the Washington Community Scholars’ Center (formerly known as the Washington Study-Service Year).
Discover D.C.
Washington, D.C., is a city of polarities, a center of incredible wealth, diversity, opportunity, knowledge and beauty. Rhythm and color from around the globe embellish streets and invigorate neighborhoods. It is also a place filled with poverty and desperation. D.C. has one of the Western Hemisphere’s highest infant mortality rates. With the exception of Haiti, black men in D.C. have the lowest life expectancy in the Western Hemisphere.
The contradictions and richness found in the city also shape WCSC programs. Students are encouraged to explore D.C.’s polarities at their internships, in WCSC seminars and in the distinctive neighborhoods that shape the city. Through this combination of experiences, WCSC students are motivated to "grow in knowledge, skills, and moral and spiritual development, through community service, reflection and analysis" (WCSC mission statement).
Gain practical experience
Washington Community Scholars' Center intern, Sarah Roth meets presidential candidate, Senator Hilllary Rodham Clinton, during a meeting at her internship site, Faith and Politics. Read Sarah's take on her semester at WCSC...
Build a resume with job skills and work experience with an internship. Many of our students intern in culturally diverse settings, with organizations working to address racism, injustice, violence and other social problems.
Internships are available in any major, including the sciences, the arts and professional programs.
Engage the arts
From slam poetry readings to Hamlet—these experiences are at your doorstep in D.C.
Our seminar class provides a space for students to explore museums, theaters, coffee house poetry readings, concerts, public art and historical walking tours.
Integrate life and learning
WCSC’s inter-disciplinary seminar analyzes social problems, faith issues and urban experiences through the arts, reading and writing assignments, and group discussion.
Guest speakers, internship placements, theater performances, and history and arts tours aid seminar learning. (The seminar also meets a number of EMU’s general education requirements.)
A number of academic venues are available to students. Electives and requirements are available from nearby institutions such as:
Former WCSC student Jessica Byler outside Joe's Movement Emporium and World Arts Focus where she was hired as Marketing Director after a successful internship in 2004. "My internship allowed me to use my time and talents to learn
more about a community's needs and creative solutions to problems that
seem unfixable," she says. "This internship became a full-time job at the end of
the program, and I continue to immerse myself in local culture and
use art to promote change."
- Howard University
- The Catholic University of America
- Smithsonian’s Campus on the Mall
- Corcoran College of Art and Design
- Capitol Hill Arts Workshop
- Graduate School of the U.S. Department of Agriculture
Build a student community
Live with students from Mennonite-affiliated schools in a working-class, largely African-American neighborhood.
Each student has their own bedroom, but WCSC student life is a community experience, including shared meals, cooking and cleaning.
Through sharing a house, intense new experiences and studies, students come to know one another and themselves in surprising ways.
Group life is coordinated through house meetings. Students build interpersonal communications skills and learn about conflict resolution strategies.
Eastern Mennonite University is a small Christian liberal arts college dedicated to Anabaptist and Mennonite values of peacebuilding and service.
