Education

Alhambra Consulting Group

When available, the complete list of active Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) for the current academic year can be found on the Office of Campus Life website. If you would like to contact the student leader(s) of this organization, please email [email protected].


Alhambra Consulting Group (ACG) is Williams College’s pro bono consulting group. Alhambra aims to foster regional economic development in Berkshire County and the surrounding region by providing advisory to local businesses, non-profits, and public sector groups operating in geographic proximity to the County.

Alhambra’s primary services include conducting academic and business research, collecting and analyzing data, and developing strategies and proposals based on research insights to support our clients’ objectives.

Alhambra’s paramount mission is to leverage the resources of Williams College to engage with the regional issues of Berkshire County and foster long-term growth and change for our clients and our community.

Association for Women in Mathematics

This group is currently inactive.

Student Leaders: Amina Diop ([email protected])
Faculty/Staff Adviser: Eva Goedhart

We are the Williams College student chapter of the Association for Women in Mathematics (AWM).  The chapter was established in 2014 in response to the lack of existing structures or programming for women in math and the discrimination that went unnoticed both inside classrooms and out.  We work on two levels: (1) we aim to provide a social space for members of underrepresented minorities in STEM who have felt uncomfortable in general math settings and (2) we work towards long-term structural changes that will make the Williams Math Department more inclusive.

AWM website

Berkshire Doula Project

When available, the complete list of active Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) for the current academic year can be found on the Office of Campus Life website. If you would like to contact the student leader(s) of this organization, please email [email protected].


Berkshire Doula Project (BDP) is a reproductive justice collective on campus that offers free support services to people seeking abortions in Berkshire County. We host campus events including Masturbation and Menstruation celebration and run semesterly trainings for students, staff, and community to learn about reproductive justice, doula work, and become abortion doulas. BDP also organizes on-campus and nationwide to expand access to reproductive healthcare and achieve reproductive justice.

Berkshire Educational Resources K12 (BERK12)

The mission of the Berkshire County Education Task Force (BCETF) has evolved in response to ongoing changes in education. In doing so, the BCETF has renamed itself to better reflect its new mission. We are now Berkshire Educational Resources K12 (BERK12). Our mission is to support Berkshire County school districts and educators by collaboratively offering solutions to short and long-term issues, in order to promote high quality public education, which all children deserve, regardless of background or circumstance.

Berkshire Regional Planning Commission
1 Fenn Street Suite 201
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Phone: 413-442-1521
[email protected]
www.berk12.org

Big Brothers and Big Sisters

This group is currently inactive. Please see the Williams Elementary Outreach Big Sibs at WES program for current information.

A part of the Big Brothers, Big Sisters program, this Williamstown Elementary program pairs children in grades kindergarten through six with a Big Brother or Big Sister from Williams to provide the younger students with unique, self-esteem building, one-to-one relationships.  Typically, children get together with their Big Sibs once a week for several hours and are engaged in various activities of mutual interest.  On occasion, larger group functions (e.g., movies or bowling) may be arranged by the program’s student coordinator at Williams.

Black in STEM+ Student Association

When available, the complete list of active Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) for the current academic year can be found on the Office of Campus Life website. If you would like to contact the student leader(s) of this organization, please email [email protected].


The Black STEM Student Association (BSTEM) aims to create a collaborative and supportive space in which Black and other underrepresented students hoping to pursue careers in STEM+ are encouraged to continue their studies in the STEM fields and can freely and directly speak of their experiences in the STEM fields.

Brayton Elementary After School Tutoring

This group is currently inactive.

Student Leaders: Emma Paquette ([email protected])
Faculty/Staff Adviser: Molly Polk

The objective of Brayton Afterschool Tutoring Program is to provide assistance to the afterschool programming in the North Adams schools, bringing student energy into disadvantaged classrooms. Tutors work with students one-on-one or in small groups to improve their reading skills. Tutors also provide program support for the teachers’ planned activities, such as arts and crafts, board games, dance, or sports.

 

Central Americans For Empowerment

When available, the complete list of active Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) for the current academic year can be found on the Office of Campus Life website. If you would like to contact the student leader(s) of this organization, please email [email protected].


CAFÉ is a student-led organization that is mindful of the needs of both Central Americans in higher education and Central Americans in the broader community. We intend to create partnerships with external organizations to cater to specific needs and open opportunities for students after college. We will also connect with Central American alumni to strengthen community ties with Williams.

Circle of Women

This group is inactive as of the 2023-24 academic year.

Student Leaders: Jaeeun Lee (jl35) & Jennifer Sarmiento (jrs14)
Faculty/Staff Advisor: Kris Hoey

Circle of Women (CoW) is a national nonprofit organization–run completely by students–that provides the necessary resources to girls around the world who are pursuing an education. As such, our focus is primarily abroad. We partner up with local groups to implement construction projects and fundraise to make such projects possible.

Website

CLiA Community Outreach Summer Fellowship

This paid summer program trains a small team of Williams students to help build better community service and experiential learning opportunities at Williams.  The selected rising Sophomores and Juniors are initially oriented to the Berkshires and trained in key skill areas before spending the balance of their time immersed and leading others in community engagement work.  This 8-week, 35-hour/week position reports to the CLiA Director.

Additional Information & Application:

learning-in-action.williams.edu/opportunities/community-outreach-summer-fellowship

 

Concussed Cows

This group is currently inactive.

Student Leaders: Ellyn Pier
Faculty/Staff Adviser: Noah Sandstrom
Meeting Time/Place: Paresky

To provide support for students recovering from concussions and to help the college implement the best possible practices in concussion management. Our group will be a way for those struggling with concussions to connect with other students so that they don’t have to go through the difficult process alone. We will also work to educate the community about concussions to reduce stereotypes and misconceptions.

Disabled Student Union

When available, the complete list of active Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) for the current academic year can be found on the Office of Campus Life website. If you would like to contact the student leader(s) of this organization, please email [email protected].


The purpose of Disabled Student Union is to support disabled people, especially disabled Williams students. It provides a place for the disabled community, accessible outreach, and self-advocacy.

Divest Williams

This group is currently inactive.

Student Leaders: Isabelle Furman ([email protected])
Faculty/Staff Adviser: Shanti Singham
Meeting Time/Place: Wednesdays 9 PM in Zilkha Center

Divest Williams seeks to build and foster a movement around divestment of the college’s endowment from fossil fuels; in this work, we aim also to undermine the entire extractive economy. Through this work, we strive to educate the community and challenge people to think more deeply about both their own and Williams’s place in social movements. We hope to develop a deeper understanding of systems of power and oppression and the points at which these systems are vulnerable. We understand the fight for climate justice to be inextricably linked to the fight for racial justice, economic justice, LGBTQIA justice; to the fight to end colonialism and imperialism and dismantle the patriarchy; to end ableism, transphobia, heterosexism, and all other forms of oppression. Therefore Divest Williams stands with all other groups fighting for social justice and climate justice on campus and beyond.

Website

Education Outreach

For 20+ years, Williams has partnered with our local educators to create hands-on programming that serve the needs of the children and their families in a host of Berkshire County schools in the areas of science, writing, mentoring, homework help and more. Currently, more than 350 students participate and serve in K-12 schools in paid and volunteer positions in Williamstown, Lanesborough, North Adams and Pittsfield. We welcome your involvement and ideas, and look forward to hearing from you! Please visit the Education Outreach section of our website for more information.

EOS (Educational Opportunities for Success) Mentoring

This group is inactive as of the 2023-24 academic year.

This student-run program provides mentoring support for under-resourced high school students in the Pittsfield Public School District’s alternative learning facility. The mission of the program, established in 2017, is to build relationships with high school students whose voices are often ignored and whose feelings are frequently invalidated. Mentors strive to serve as consistent, positive role models who listen and show interest in these teenagers. In addition to mentoring, EOS promotes and conducts trauma-informed trainings with the goal of equipping local educators, mentors, resource officers, and student workers with the knowledge and strategies to more effectively serve and support students who have been affected by trauma. To apply or for more information, contact Omar Ahmad ’23 ([email protected]) or Tiffany Park ’23 ([email protected]).

Ephraise

When available, the complete list of active Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) for the current academic year can be found on the Office of Campus Life website. If you would like to contact the student leader(s) of this organization, please email [email protected].


Ephraise is meant to be a dynamic organization dedicated to bridging the gap between the insular environment of Williams College and the rest of the world. Our main goal is to be an organization that expressly fundraises for multiple causes than for any specific one. To do so, we plan to harness the power of food-based fundraising to raise vital funds for addressing various social and economic issues, both local and internationally. Ephraise plans to organize fundraisers, informational talks, student dinners with professors, and cuisine-based events (like learning how to make a specific dish).

fEMPOWER

This group is currently inactive.

Student Leaders: Elizabeth Webber
Faculty/Staff Adviser: Sarah Raymond
Meeting Time/Place: Williamstown Elementary School

We hope to teach young girls about nutrition, teamwork and the negative and unrealistic expectations of women’s bodies in the media. We found a lot of success doing this last year, and I hope to continue the growth of this program. Our goal is to continue to inform a younger generation of girls through hands-on lessons and team-centered training. This program will end with a 5K road race that all of the girls will have trained for over the course of ~6 weeks. We want to show young girls that with some hard work and focus, they are all capable of reaching their goals.

Girl Scouts of Central and Western Massachusetts

Girl Scouts of Central and Western Massachusetts (GSCWM) impacts over 12,000 girls and supports over 5,000 adult members in Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, Worcester and a portion of Middlesex counties. In Girl Scouts, we believe every girl can become a leader. Membership in Girl Scouts is open to girls in grades K-12; women and men over 18 can join as adult members. While most girls join for fun and friendship, they also find out about building character and self-esteem and serving their communities—core qualities of Girl Scouting.

Additional Information & Current Opportunities:

learning-in-action.williams.edu/opportunities/girl-scouts-of-central-and-western-massachusetts

Great Ideas Committee

This group is currently inactive.

Student Leaders: Luke Baumann ([email protected])
Meeting Time/Place: College Council Suite, time according to members’ schedule

The Great Ideas Committee solicits ideas from the community to improve student life at Williams. These ideas can be conveniences (such as installing water fountains or buying chargers for the library), policy changes, improved communication systems, or anything else, though the scope of the projects is generally smaller than the larger policy questions debated by College Council or faculty committees. We draw from the CC Projects fund.

Website

Harrison Morgan Brown Pre-Health Society

This group is currently inactive.

Student Leaders: Donglin Zhang
Faculty/Staff Adviser: Barbara Fuller
Meeting Time/Place: Tuesday evenings, Paresky

1. Organizes activities, trips, and events that will help Williams students to cultivate their passion for medicine. 2. Consolidates sources of information about the field of health care, including speakers and health care professionals, to help Williams students make well-informed decisions about preparing and pursuing a career in medicine. 3. Serves as a liaison between the Health Professions Advisor and the various pre-health students of Williams College.

Kinetic

This group is currently inactive.

Student Leaders: Zachary Brand
Faculty/Staff Adviser: Jessica Bernheim

The purpose of Kinetic is to cultivate a social innovation incubator committed to designing and implementing creative, non-political, sustainable, scalable solutions to pressing social issues in the Berkshire region. Kinetic teams, which are comprised of 4-8 Kinetic members, work on a particular issue in three distinct phases: research, design, and implementation. Kinetic members work to understand the entire landscape of an issue and to discover gaps where they can intervene and create systemic change.

Kinetic Website

Masculinity, Accountability, Support, and Consent

When available, the complete list of active Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) for the current academic year can be found on the Office of Campus Life website. If you would like to contact the student leader(s) of this organization, please email [email protected].


MASC works to foster healthy conceptions of masculinity for the purpose of bettering campus culture. We do this in a variety of ways, such as workshops with sports teams, clubs, and organizations, Free University classes, and educational speakers and events.

Math Riddles

Many students find math dry in high school and junior high school. The purpose of the webpage is to help students and teachers see that math can be fun, interesting and applicable.

In addition to the riddles, there is a student/teacher corner where detailed explanations are given, not just of how to solve the problem, but how to try to attack it. In particular, often promising approaches that don’t pan out are discussed. The purpose is to help students and teachers learn how to approach new problems.

Additional Information & Current Opportunities:

learning-in-action.williams.edu/opportunities/math-riddles

Matriculate

When available, the complete list of active Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) for the current academic year can be found on the Office of Campus Life website. If you would like to contact the student leader(s) of this organization, please email [email protected].


Matriculate aims to support high-achieving, low-income high school students (high school fellows) in navigating the college application process by pairing them with college advisors (advising fellows) for one-to-one mentoring and support. Within this organization, advising fellows receive rigorous training whereby they learn the underlying skills to help tackle and alleviate educational/resource disparities in the college application process. Hopefully, by virtue of Matriculate’s mission, this increases the number of high-achieving, low-income students who attend some of the nation’s top colleges.

 

Mohawk Forest Mentoring Program

This group is currently inactive.

Student Leaders: Julia Yarak ’18 ([email protected])

Faculty/Staff Adviser: Paula Consolini

Meeting Time/Place: Monday-Friday 3-5 PM

The Mohawk Forest program takes Williams students most weekday afternoons (3-5pm) to Mohawk Forest, an affordable housing community in North Adams. At the Mohawk Forest Community Center, we help children on their homework, play games, make crafts, and serve as mentors for the kids. It is a great opportunity to get out of the “purple bubble” and interact with children and teens in the community who really benefit from having positive role models in their lives.  For more information, contact the student leaders or the Center for Learning in Action at [email protected].

Moo-Mami

This group is currently inactive.

Student Leaders: Carson Kurtz ([email protected])
Faculty/Staff Adviser: Caroline Bruno
Meeting Time/Place: Friday evening, Zilkha Center kitchen

The two overarching goals of the organization are to teach members of the community useful cooking techniques and immerse them in the process of raising money for charity. We hope that through our organization participants will learn and become comfortable with a variety of cooking techniques, thereby acquiring a valuable life skill that students ordinarily are not exposed to in the academic classroom. Through the culinary lessons and time allotted to practice, we hope to build and foster a sense of community around food. Another element of the club consists of familiarizing and raising awareness about various social and medical issues around the world.

Facebook Page

Muslim Student Union

When available, the complete list of active Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) for the current academic year can be found on the Office of Campus Life website. If you would like to contact the student leader(s) of this organization, please email [email protected].


We provide a space for the spiritual and cultural enrichment of all Muslims on campus, regardless of degree of worship. We also partner with other faith and MinCo groups to foster cultural exchange and to unite members of different backgrounds. Our events range from weekly congregational prayer to campus-wide potlucks; from speaker events to movie nights. The MSU is committed to serving the Williams community with absolute inclusiveness. Everyone—regardless of race, gender, and sexual orientation—is welcome in the MSU space at all times.

Oral Health Society

When available, the complete list of active Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) for the current academic year can be found on the Office of Campus Life website. If you would like to contact the student leader(s) of this organization, please email [email protected].


Are you interested in dentistry? The Oral Health Society supports the pre-dental students at Williams College and promotes oral health awareness on and off campus. On an educational front, we engage with local service programs in Williamstown and the surrounding areas of Berkshire County to teach the youth about the importance of proper oral hygiene. On campus, we serve as an outlet for any student who is interested in dentistry by providing advice, guidance, and resources when it comes to educational and professional development. We sponsor dental school visits, aid with pre-health/research summer program applications, and connect our members with alumni as well as fellow pre-dental students from other institutions.

OURSTEM+

When available, the complete list of active Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) for the current academic year can be found on the Office of Campus Life website. If you would like to contact the student leader(s) of this organization, please email [email protected].


Goals:

  • To further the work of, to improve the effectiveness of, and to enhance the public understanding of and appreciation for underrepresented minorities in Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, and related fields, such as Psychology and Economics
  • To promote student recruitment and retention of underrepresented minorities in STEM+ at Williams College
  • To provide a forum for students from different majors in STEM+ to come together for academic, community service, and social activities at Williams College
  • To create an inclusive environment for underrepresented minorities in STEM+

Peer Health

When available, the complete list of active Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) for the current academic year can be found on the Office of Campus Life website. If you would like to contact the student leader(s) of this organization, please email [email protected].


Peer Health provides students at Williams with health supplies and hosts health-related events on campus. Peer Health provides education and resources that promote Williams students’ everyday health, with a vision to work toward a Williams student body of well-balanced individuals.

Period. at Williams College

When available, the complete list of active Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) for the current academic year can be found on the Office of Campus Life website. If you would like to contact the student leader(s) of this organization, please email [email protected].


We are a chapter of the national nonprofit organization PERIOD. We strive to work to end period poverty and stigma in our lifetime through service, education, and activism. Our campus activities include holding fundraisers to donate menstrual products to other organizations and supplying menstrual products around campus bathrooms. We also hold speaker events regarding menstruation and hope to work with local schools to address menstrual inequality and stigma.

Pownal Pen Pals

This group is inactive as of the 2022-23 academic year.

Student Leaders: Amari Yirgu (ayy1)
Faculty/Staff Advisor: Jennifer Swoap

We, the members of Pownal Pen Pals, established to exchange letters with students of Pownal Elementary School and thereby contribute to their education and forge connections with the broader community.

QuestBridge Scholars Network

This group is currently inactive. For information for QuestBridge-affiliated students, please visit the Williams Admissions website.

Student Leaders: Onyeka Obi
Faculty/Staff Adviser: April Ruiz
Meeting Time/Place: Hollander 101

The primary purpose of the Williams QuestBridge Scholars Network is to provide a coherent support system for entering and continuing QuestBridge-affiliated Scholars at Williams College. However, while the Williams QSN functions as a place of support for low-income and first-generation students, many of its services benefit students from all backgrounds; all students are welcome to participate in the QSN’s events. Through the Williams QSN, students have an opportunity to meet others with similar life experiences through frequent social events and gatherings. With an emphasis on service, community building, and student mentorship, the QSN strives to continue our greater organization’s goal of seeing disadvantaged students thrive and give back.

Racial Justice K-12 Curriculum Development Initiative

This community engagement program, initially run online due to the COVID pandemic during 2020-2021 and in a hybrid format during Summer 2021 and beyond, is designed to serve Williams students’ civic aspirations by providing the opportunity to engage in racial justice work in partnership with local K-12 schools and Berkshire County-based advocacy organizations.  

Additional Information & Resources:

https://learning-in-action.williams.edu/opportunities/racial-justice-community-outreach/

Rules Change Project

The Rules Change Project is an initiative to support action ideas for capitalism and the common good.  America is not working for all of us. The Rules Change Project is an open coalition to spotlight, amplify and educate the public about existing efforts to foster economic “rules change.” It is an informal, non-partisan collaboration of individuals and independent groups seeking to help launch a national conversation about how we govern, regulate, manage and interact with corporations, about their relationship with government, and with their stakeholders — employees, customers, communities, the environment — in addition to stockholders.

Additional Information & Current Opportunities:

learning-in-action.williams.edu/opportunities/rules-change-project

Senior Technology Tutoring

When available, the complete list of active Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) for the current academic year can be found on the Office of Campus Life website. If you would like to contact the student leader(s) of this organization, please email [email protected].


Senior Tech Tutoring is a club for Williams students to tutor senior citizens with technology ranging from computers to phones to tablets. We meet every Friday at the Harper Center from 4-5pm.

Sentinels Summer Public Policy Research Fellowship

This U.S. public policy research program supports student research projects focused on contemporary issues in U.S. economic, social, and/or environmental policy, including but not limited to community and regional development, regulation, inequality, and/or processes and powers of the American Government at any level.  Sentinels Fellows are awarded research funding based primarily upon their written project proposal.

Additional Information & Application:

https://learning-in-action.williams.edu/opportunities/sentinels-summer-research-fellowship/

Sexual Wellness Advocacy Network (SWAN)

This group is currently inactive.

Student Leaders: Jennifer Lederer ([email protected])
Faculty/Staff Adviser: Donna Denelli-Hess

SWAN works to introduce topics of consent and healthy relationships to local middle school and high school students through workshops. We also create relationships with administrators and teachers to create consent-promoting initiatives. It is the purpose of SWAN to work closely with students, teachers, and administration to figure out the best ways in which to bring our information and messages to local campuses. With every place we go to, we hope to create a consent-promoting, survivor-supporting campus. In addition, SWAN works to improve Williams students’ ability to understand and thus teach consent to local students.

Facebook

SWAG

 

 

 

SWAN Facebook Page

Sisterhood

When available, the complete list of active Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) for the current academic year can be found on the Office of Campus Life website. If you would like to contact the student leader(s) of this organization, please email [email protected].


Sisterhood is an affinity organization for the black identifying womxn at Williams College. Our main goal is to foster community through our weekly meetings for the community of black womxn on campus. We host and collaborate different events throughout the year such as our annual Melanin Masquerade Ball and smaller weekly events, like talks and movie nights.

Storytime

When available, the complete list of active Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) for the current academic year can be found on the Office of Campus Life website. If you would like to contact the student leader(s) of this organization, please email [email protected].


Storytime hosts weekly storytelling events on campus meant to bring students, faculty, and staff together to share experiences, enriching our community.

Student Exploration of Education

When available, the complete list of active Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) for the current academic year can be found on the Office of Campus Life website. If you would like to contact the student leader(s) of this organization, please email [email protected].


SEE is a student-led organization that aims to provide budding educators with the knowledge and resources needed to thrive in education-related careers. We welcome all those interested in education policy, technology, administration, finance, consulting, teaching, etc.!

Students for Education Reform

This group is currently inactive.

Student Leader: Cooper Bramble
Faculty/Staff Adviser: Shawna Patterson-Stephens
Meeting Time/Place: Wednesday at 6 PM, Paresky 220

Student’s for Education Reform is an organization that is committed to improving the state of education in the United States. We advocate at the state, local, and national levels, pushing for positive legislative change and raising awareness for important educational issues. At the college, we work to increase understanding and foster discussion about education related issues by holding events, bringing in speakers, conducting school/school board visits and holding dinner meetings.

Students for Israeli-Palestinian Dialogue

When available, the complete list of active Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) for the current academic year can be found on the Office of Campus Life website. If you would like to contact the student leader(s) of this organization, please email [email protected].


SIPD aims to bring students together — no matter their background, ideological leanings, or perspectives — and provide opportunities and forums to share and learn more about the Israeli Palestinian conflict and occupation. We hope to achieve this by inviting speakers from the ground and around the world, ranging from activists, artists, filmmakers, scholars, to individuals with powerful stories to share.

Students for Justice in Palestine

This group is inactive as of the 2022-23 academic year.

Student Leaders: Gina Al-Karablieh (gza1) & Lour Yasin (liy1)
Faculty/Staff Advisor: Aseel Abulhab

This is an organization that activates for Palestinian rights and strives to spread awareness about the history of Palestine with regards to the Israeli occupation.

The Inside-Out Course and Positive Pathways Partnership (P3)

The Inside Out Course and Positive Pathways Partnership are programs run with the Berkshire County Jail and House of Correction in nearby Pittsfield, Massachusetts.

The Inside Out Course follows the Inside Out Program model developed at Temple University.  In this model, the course consists of an equal number of college students and inmates learning alongside one another in a seminar taught by a college instructor at the correctional institution. A major goal of the course is to facilitate dialogue across difference,  potentially developing transformative learning experiences for participants.  The program at Williams, begun in 2013 with a course taught by Professor Christian Thorne, was initiated by Gaudino Scholar Magnus Bernhardsson as part of the “Danger Initiative.”  It continues now under the guidance of a faculty advisory team (Professors Keith McPartland, Christian Thorne, Jim Nolan, and Kris Kirby) with administration and financial support from the Center for Learning in Action. For more information on the course, contact CLiA Director Dr. Paula Consolini ([email protected]).

The Positive Pathways Partnership (P3) with the Berkshire County Sheriff’s Office, begun in 2015, supports educational access for those formerly or currently incarcerated in the Berkshire County House of Correction (BCHOC). In fall 2016, when several Williams students attended an orientation and tour of the facility in Pittsfield, some were taken aback by the new environment they had been invited to tutor in. Still, they were inspired to serve by a recognition of the importance of P3’s mission.

From December 2016 to April 2017, Omar Kawam ’20, Diana Sanchez ’17, and Timothy Suh ’18, drove weekly to the 2nd St. Reentry Office in Pittsfield where they taught a recently released individual Writing, Reading, and Math to pass his HiSET exam. Under the supervision of BCHoC staff, tutoring continued through the summer of 2017 in the Pittsfield correctional facility as two inmates sought to work towards their diplomas.

In addition to the tutoring, a small group of Williams students led by Ted McNally ’20, launched a weekly book discussion group at the BCHoC in the Spring of 2017. Within a few years, inmate participation has grown to as many as 16. Williams students facilitate the discussion of books and short stories chosen by the group as a whole. Maus, Legends of the Fall, and Love and War in California have been among the books read and discussed together.

The tutoring and book discussion group initiatives have grown substantially with the addition of another early evening (5:30-7pm) of tutoring to the Thursday slot and more students volunteering to help facilitate the Friday evening book discussions. After additional recruitment to better serve the tutoring needs both in and outside the jail, the Williams’ Director of Quantitative Skills Programs and Peer Support helped the tutors develop tutoring syllabi and a communication system that helps them work more effectively individually and as a team.

When COVID struck, P3 students found a way to continue helping with HISET preparation.  Once they heard from the BCHOC education staff about the most challenging content areas of test preparation, they created a series of  short tutorial videos to aid those studying for the test. The videos were well received and continue to be used now that the program has returned in person. The videos have since been shared with the Northern Berkshire Adult Basic Education  Program.

Even as tutoring and mentoring in this setting may be out of some people’s comfort zone, Williams students and inmates alike are grateful for the rewarding shared learning experiences. Along with the regularly taught Inside-Out Williams course, P3 strives to strengthen relations between the two institutions and offer a larger number of individuals hope in the possibility of new beginnings.

For more information, please contact Ash Bell ([email protected]).

The Society of the Griffins

When available, the complete list of active Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) for the current academic year can be found on the Office of Campus Life website. If you would like to contact the student leader(s) of this organization, please email [email protected].


The Society of The Griffins is to foster a brotherhood for black men while creating equitable pathways to success at Williams College. On our journey to individual and collective achievement, we hold unity, fidelity and excellence above all. We aim to connect with communities within Williams and the Berkshires, more broadly, as exemplary men for others.

thinkFOOD

This group is currently inactive.

Student Leaders: Nicholas Gardner ([email protected])
Faculty/Staff Adviser: Mike Evans
Meeting Time/Place: Tuesdays 8 PM in Zilkha Center

At Williams, members of thinkFOOD work in student groups and dining committees to make the food Williams eats more environmentally and socially sustainable. We’ve worked with our primary food purveyors and worked to write Williams Dining’s sustainable and responsible purchasing expectations for those purveyors. We’ve also participated in local farm visits with the Zilkha Center and hosted community meals.

Timberlawn Elementary School

The mission of Timberlawn Elementary School is to teach and learn with purpose, passion, and perseverance. We will achieve our mission by working together to ensure that every Timberlawn Bulldog excels academically, socially and emotionally.  Students recite the Timberlawn Mission Statement at the beginning of each school day.

Timberlawn Elementary School is one of 38 elementary schools in the Jackson Public School District. It serves students in grades pre-K-5. Timberlawn is located in a low-income community. It is a Title 1 school; 97% of students live below the poverty line.  For more information on the school, please visit timberlawn.jpsms.org.

Additional Information & Current Opportunities:

learning-in-action.williams.edu/opportunities/timberlawn-elementary-school

Williams College Children’s Center

We join with families in a community where children’s ideas and the wonder of childhood inspire our common learning. We offer safe, nurturing care that supports play, learning, and the work of children while recognizing the strengths, diversity, and uniqueness of all who learn and teach here. Our teachers foster multiple ways of learning and development of skills that will support our children in the future, whether in school or in the world beyond.

Additional Information & Current Opportunities:

learning-in-action.williams.edu/opportunities/williams-college-childrens-center

Williams College Democrats

When available, the complete list of active Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) for the current academic year can be found on the Office of Campus Life website. If you would like to contact the student leader(s) of this organization, please email [email protected].


Williams College Democrats organizes students on campus to further Democratic goals at the local, state, and national level. We also function as a hub for liberal and left-leaning thought through the hosting of events and occasionally volunteer in our local Berkshire community.

Williams Insight

Student Leaders: Stephen Kletscher ([email protected])
Faculty/Staff Adviser: David Zimmerman

We are the Williams College financial publication club. We hold weekly meetings where we discuss the latest evolutions of the markets and plan our articles. Our articles comprise analysis of publicly-traded companies, the state of the markets, etc.

Williams Law Society

When available, the complete list of active Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) for the current academic year can be found on the Office of Campus Life website. If you would like to contact the student leader(s) of this organization, please email [email protected].


The Williams College Law Society (WCLS) manages finances, planning, and organization of the Williams Moot Court Team and Williams Mock Trial team, in addition to hosting guest speakers and alumni in law or law-related fields.

Williams Outing Club

When available, the complete list of active Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) for the current academic year can be found on the Office of Campus Life website. If you would like to contact the student leader(s) of this organization, please email [email protected].


WOC leads weekly outdoor activities for the school community, lends gear for community members to go on their own adventures, and hosts large all-school events throughout the year. The board includes about 20 students who work to make the outdoors a more fun and accessible place for everyone on campus.

Williams Political Forum

Student Leaders: Davey Morse ([email protected])
Faculty/Staff Adviser: TBD

The Williams Forum provides the primary platform for open political discourse in the College. The Forum hosts student-led debates and forums with political leaders, and its member pursue select political initiatives. The Forum is guided by deep mutual respect, appreciation of disagreement, and a drive to improve society.

Williams Positive Pathways Partnership

When available, the complete list of active Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) for the current academic year can be found on the Office of Campus Life website. If you would like to contact the student leader(s) of this organization, please email [email protected].


P3 provides tutoring services at the Berkshire House of Corrections in Pittsfield. Student tutors form positive relationships with inmates and help them pursue their academic goals.

Williams Pre-Health Society

When available, the complete list of active Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) for the current academic year can be found on the Office of Campus Life website. If you would like to contact the student leader(s) of this organization, please email [email protected].


We aim to empower pre-health students by offering support and opportunities to explore various fields within the healthcare industry. Our focus is on fostering learning and growth, enabling students to make informed decisions about their future career paths in healthcare and connecting with their peers.

Williams Refugee Advancement Coalition

When available, the complete list of active Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) for the current academic year can be found on the Office of Campus Life website. If you would like to contact the student leader(s) of this organization, please email [email protected].


WRAC seeks to educate about the experiences of refugees and immigrants and to create a welcoming environment for them on campus and in the region. We focus on community presentations and volunteering with local organizations.

Williams Secular Community

Student Leaders: Coly Elhai ([email protected])
Faculty/Staff Adviser: Colin Adams
Meeting Time/Place: Tuesdays 6 PM, Paresky

The purpose of the group is to build an inclusive community of agnostics, atheists, and all skeptics to socialize and connect in a variety of ways. We also aim to create a safe, non-religious space for anyone to engage in fulfilling discussions of their personal lives, current events, religion, life philosophy, or anything else. We do this through regular dinners and discussions that are open to everyone.

Williams Speaks

Student Leaders: Ananya Mayukha ([email protected]), Wilfred Lee ([email protected])
Faculty/Staff Adviser
: N/A
Meeting Time/Place: TBD

Williams Speaks matches each Williams student with a teacher and classroom at a local elementary school. As part of this organization, Williams students provide weekly lessons in public speaking to these kids, starting with simple and creative games and progressing to bigger projects. Although Williams speaks will provide a booklet with ideas for lesson plans and key skills to cover, Williams students are free to design their lessons tailored to their own interests and passions. Some work study opportunities are available, and transportation is always provided.

Williams Student Union

When available, the complete list of active Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) for the current academic year can be found on the Office of Campus Life website. If you would like to contact the student leader(s) of this organization, please email [email protected].


The Williams Student Union is empowered to consider matters of interest to students and shall act as a voice for students in official matters if requested. The Williams Student Union ensures that the voice and concerns of students are amplified and that the administration is best serving the needs of students through advocacy to the administration or through the support of different student initiatives. Through various forms of advocacy, the Williams Student Union will begin to collect institutional knowledge that will help future generations of students navigate the bureaucracy at the College.

The Williams Student Union will:

  1. Create spaces for students to air grievances, talk about student concerns, and voice opinions. This can be through the creation of campus forums, town halls, or open meetings.
  2. Amplify student issues or concerns, especially to raise awareness to the student body and bring issues to the administration.
  3. Hold public, regularly scheduled meetings that are spaces for students to voice their opinions.
  4. Serve as a link between the administration and students, especially for important campus issues or policies.
  5. Create a publicly-accessible record archive that contains information on current membership and Union issues.

Williamstown Community Preschool

Williamstown Community Preschool serves the needs of toddler, preschool, and school-age children and their families. From age 15 months to 12 years, children find a safe, caring environment at WCP where they can grow, learn, and thrive.

WCP offers a rich, developmentally appropriate learning environment that focuses on child-centered, child-directed activities. The WCP staff seeks to create opportunities for children to experience, explore, and gain an understanding of the world and the people around them. We encourage children to develop cooperative social skills by setting appropriate limits, by offering positive choices, and by helping children develop problem-solving skills. We promote a sense of self-worth in children by providing an atmosphere of trust and respect with regard to the children’s feelings, skills, choices, similarities, and differences.

Additional Information & Current Opportunities:

learning-in-action.williams.edu/opportunities/williamstown-community-preschool

WISHES

Student Leaders: Louis Gilbert-Bono ([email protected]), Duncan Cummings ([email protected])
Faculty/Staff Adviser: George McCormack ([email protected])
Meeting Time/Place: 2 days weekly, Williamstown Elementary

WISHES (Williams Initiative for Student Health in Elementary Schools) is a group of Williams students who teach a health and nutrition class to the Williamstown Elementary School fifth grade classes. We teach one class per week in the spring, and the class we teach uses games, activities, and lessons to teach the students about the food pyramid, healthy exercise, body image, and a variety of other health and nutrition related topics. Each member of the group is in charge of a group of about 4 students to whom they deliver the week’s lesson plan every week.