Regular (Fixed Weekly Schedule)

Asian American Students in Action (AASiA)

Student Leaders: Ashley Shan (as65) & Serah Park (sp29)
Faculty/Staff Advisor: Aly Corey

Asian American Students in Action (AASiA) is a political student organization independent of existing Asian cultural organizations at Williams College and was created to foster and execute political action among Asian and Asian American students. This organization implements a structure in which Asian and Asian American students form project-based committees (PBC) for community building and political change. AASiA seeks to build a politicized pan-Asian community to organize around community and institutional change.

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

Student Leaders: Briann Nelson (bmn1) & Hannah Yoon (hy4)
Faculty/Staff Advisor: Laini Sporbert

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 Farm Center

This group is currently inactive.

Organization LiaisonJulie Brennan [email protected]

CLiA staff liaison: Paula Consolini  [email protected]

Williams at Berkshire Farm Center (WBFC) works with at-risk youth both on and off campus. These youth come from Berkshire Farm Center (BFC), a residential treatment center in Canaan, NY. They are males ages 12-18 who have committed some sort of minor infraction and have been court-ordered to stay at BFC for a designated amount of time. In the past, Williams volunteers met with the youth for a few hours on weekends, alternating between visiting BFC and hosting activities on campus. At Berkshire, the club has participated in rope course activities, gone on a nature scavenger hunt, and met the farm animals. At Williams, the group has stepped with Sankofa, learned about the 3-D printer in Sawyer Library, played basketball, and written poetry with Speakfree.  During Winter Study ’16, Williams students Isha Singh ’18 and Skylar Smith ’18 conducted research for Berkshire Farm Center and explored the potential for future collaboration with Williams.  Groups and individuals interested in participating should contact Julie Brennan or Paula Consolini for more information.

Berkshire Health Systems

Berkshire Health Systems (BHS) is the region’s leading provider of comprehensive healthcare services. With award-winning programs, nationally-recognized physicians, world-class technology and a sincere commitment to the community, BHS is delivering the kind of advanced healthcare most commonly found in large metropolitan centers. A private, not-for-profit organization, BHS serves the region through a network of affiliates which include Berkshire Medical Center, the BMC Hillcrest Campus, Fairview Hospital, Berkshire Visiting Nurse Association, BHS physician practices, and long-term care associate Berkshire Healthcare Systems. Each of these facilities is distinguished by the high quality of their programs and services, and by the credentials, skill and compassion of their physicians, nurses and caregivers. The mission of Berkshire Health Systems is to improve the health of all people in the Berkshires and surrounding communities, regardless of their ability to pay.

725 North Street
Pittsfield, MA 01201
413-447-2000
www.berkshirehealthsystems.org

Berkshire Immigrant Center

The mission of the Berkshire Immigrant Center is to advocate for the rights of all immigrants by helping them navigate the complex U.S. immigration system with affordable legal services, local resources, and education.

Berkshire Immigrant Center provides its clients with tools to help them overcome financial and cultural barriers, with the goals of strengthening civic engagement and creating equal opportunity for all. Berkshire Immigrant Center supports changes to systems which are unjust to immigrants, and supports state and national immigration advocacy efforts.

The Center assists more than 700 individuals annually from more than 60 countries in several languages. Our Case Workers are accredited by the Department of Justice to represent clients with the US Citizen and Immigration Services and give legal advice to those seeking immigration benefits in the US and education on civil rights.

67 East Street
Pittsfield, MA 01201
413-445-4881
www.berkshireic.org
[email protected]

BFAIR Buddies

Student Leaders: Tima Guettabi (fg6) & Katherine Bai (kyb1)
Faculty/Staff Advisor: Ash Bell (ab35)

We will hold regular trips to Berkshire Family and Individual Resources (BFAIR) homes in different locations, where we do themed crafts, have dance parties, enjoy spa days, and plant flowers. Part of BFAIR Buddies’ mission is to provide an easily accessible way for students to make new friends who live outside of the Purple Bubble. Additionally, students are often not exposed to the reality of the diverse and complex needs in our own community outside of our textbook readings, so BFAIR Buddies attempts to bridge this gap by applying classroom learning to direct, tangible action.

Black in STEM+ Student Association

Student Leaders: Tryphena Bossman (tb13) & Ellie Tounkara (ert4)
Faculty/Staff Advisor: Clinton Williams

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.

Black Student Union

Student Leaders: Tyler Smith (tcs3) & Sam Samuels (ss45)
Faculty/Staff Advisor: Bilal Ansari

The BSU is an organization that serves the Black-identifying and allied students at Williams through the consistent hosting of cultural, social, political, academic, and other events throughout the year. The goal of hosting all these events is to create and maintain community, networks of support, pass on our institutional history, and ultimately serve the needs of Black students during their time here.

Chinese American Students Organization

Student Leaders:Katherine Bai (kyb1) & Edward Li (el13)
Faculty/Staff Advisor: Aly Corey

The Chinese American Student Organization (CASO) organizes social gatherings that interact with Chinese culture in various ways. Dedicated to boosting the local Chinese community at Williams and building a deeper appreciation of our culture in the larger Williams community, we engage with Asian American issues, connect with global movements, and work with other MinCo groups to build cross-cultural dialogues through events and workshops.

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

 

Dinnertime

This group is currently inactive.

Student Leaders: Emmie Hine ([email protected])
Faculty/Staff Adviser: Paula Consolini
Meeting Time/Place: Thursday evenings in Paresky

Once a month, Dinnertime gathers and cooks dinner together for anyone who wants to come. Every dinner has a theme (past themes include Terrific Tubers, Pi Day, and Green Foods) and is vegetarian. Everyone is welcome to come cook, eat, and chat!

Facebook Page

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]).

Eph Buddies

This group is currently inactive.

Student Leaders: Julianna Veira ([email protected]), Helena Barber ([email protected])
Faculty/Staff Adviser: Colin Ovitsky ([email protected])
Meeting Time/Place: Wednesdays

Eph Buddies was created to facilitate friendships between the students at Williams College and members of our community who have mental and physical disabilities. We strive to support these individuals, provide them with additional resources and activities, and create for them a greater sense of social belongingness in our community. Most of our work is with the United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) center and Berkshire Family & Individual Resources (BFAIR).

 

 

Friendly Visitors

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

Student Leaders: This program is currently looking for new leadership. Interested? Contact Ash Bell.
Faculty/Staff Advisor: Ash Bell (ab35)

The main purposes of this organization are to guide Williams College students through the application process of volunteering at Williamstown Commons Nursing & Rehabilitation Center and provide transportation for student volunteers, and guarantee a positive experience for volunteers. Once volunteers are accepted by the Center, they become “friendly visitors” and are matched up with one of the residents and spend quality time with their resident each Sunday. Additional projects in support of seniors in the Berkshire region are organized by student leaders from time to time.

Frosh Council

This group is currently inactive.

Student Leaders: Mike Ludwig ([email protected])
Faculty/Staff Adviser: Ellen Rogeau
Meeting Time/Place: Weekly in Hopkins Hall

Frosh Council is a student-elected committee that meets weekly and plans events and functions for First Years. For instance, we held Frosh Formal this past January and designed and sold class apparel.

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

Habitat for Humanity

This group is currently inactive.

2013-2014 Group Head: Ivan Badinski, [email protected]

Williams Habitat organizes bi-weekly trips to Habitat for Humanity project sites in the Berkshires. Student volunteers provide help with the construction of low-income housing for residents of the area. Given the general lack of affordable housing in the surrounding region and the severe shortage of volunteer labor for these sites, the help of Williams students is essential in improving the lives of Berkshires residents.  Aside from enriching our community on campus, we volunteer our Saturday mornings from 9am-12pm to help our community neighbors build a home for a deserving person in our community.  Participation is welcome on any Saturday that you are available with or without a weekly commitment.  For more information on our current project and what to wear when volunteering, please visit the Northern Berkshire Habitat for Humanity Build Update page at www.northberkshirehabitat.org/buildupdates.html.

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, Sexual Assault, and Consent

Student Leaders: Max Mallett (mmm17) & Sam Bishop (sjb4)
Faculty/Staff Advisor: Allison Jasso

MASC (Masculinity, Accountability, Sexual Assault, and Consent) is dedicated to working against, and ultimately ending, rape and sexual assault on campus through promoting enthusiastic consent. To work towards this goal we hold frequent discussion meetings and social events to educate ourselves and others about masculinity, accountability, sexual assault, and consent. We also lead workshops geared towards ending cultures of toxic masculinity in men’s spaces.

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].

Muslim Student Union

Student Leaders: Maymouna Bah (mb33) & Palvasha Khan (pwk2)
Faculty/Staff Adviser: Bilal Ansari

Muslim Students Union seeks not only to help campus Muslims with their spiritual needs, but also to promote an open community where both Muslims and non-Muslims can come together to engage with Islam. Muslim Students Union hopes to serve its members by providing opportunities for intellectual exploration, Islamic learning, and spiritual growth as well as social programming. Whenever possible and prudent, we plan to extend our services to the surrounding communities in the Berkshires and Albany area, whether it be to invite Muslim and non-Muslim community members to our events or through community service. Lastly, Muslim Students Union strives to promote understanding between Muslims and other faith groups at Williams College, in order to create a more educated and aware student body.

Purplexity

Student Leaders: Molly Arts (mka2) & Sarah Lindeman (svl1)
Faculty/Staff Advisor: Paul La Rosa

Purplexity is an a cappella group that will rehearse 2-3 times a week and perform at its own pace. We’d like to hold auditions at the beginning of both academic semesters to fill the openings for voice parts and be able to perform for our own and school-sponsored events.

RASAN (Rape and Sexual Assault Network)

Student Leaders: Kaiz Esmail (kpe2) & Meghan Keenan (mlk3)
Faculty/Staff Advisur: Allison Jasso

Williams College’s Rape and Sexual Assault Network (RASAN) is dedicated to the education of the College community about sexual violence. We advocate for policies that support sexual health and wellness and provide support to survivors of sexual violence. RASAN’s flagship services are our Appointment System and Training Program. RASAN also collaborates with various organizations throughout the year to sponsor events and workshops.

 

Reclaim Childhood

This group is currently inactive.

Student Leaders: Annie Vanagenen ([email protected]), Allie Holle ([email protected]), Kara Sperry ([email protected]), Julia Diaz ([email protected]), Katherine Rosen ([email protected])
Faculty/Staff Adviser: Christi Kelsey ([email protected])
Meeting Time/Place: Sundays, Paresky

Reclaim Childhood is a non-profit organization based in Amman, Jordan that seeks to empower refugee girls and local women through sport and play. Reclaim Childhood operates regular after-school sports leagues and a month-long summer camp for girls ages 6 – 18, and coaching clinics for local adult women. On campus, we try to devise creative ways to raise money for the organization through dining hall dinners, athletics, and other events. With the money we raise, we send it to the organization which in turn purchases athletic equipment for the girls, as well as funds the summer camps for them. In addition to working during the school year, some of our members have spent their summers in Jordan working as camp counselors at these camps.

Ritmo Latino

Student Leaders: Leilani Fuentes (lf5) & Karla Mercedes (kmm9)
Faculty/Staff Advisor: Maria Cepeda

Ritmo is a student-led performance dance group. All of our dances pay homage to Latinx and Afro-Latinx dance styles. A few styles you might recognize are Salsa, Merengue, and Bachata. Join us if you’d love to dance and make new friends!

Sankofa

Student Leaders: Nathan Hu (nsh1) & Obi Nwako (ofn1)
Faculty/Staff Advisor: Sandra Burton

Sankofa is William College’s only step dancing team. This art form finds its roots in gumboot dance, military drilling, and HBCU culture. Throughout the year we practice three to four times every week, and have multiple performances.

Senior Technology Tutoring

Student Leaders: Monika Bhaskar (mab13) & Abigail Vieira (aev3)
Faculty/Staff Advisor: Ash Bell

Senior Technology Tutoring is an intergenerational program that brings seniors and college students together, all the while helping bridge the technology gap that can exist between generations. Each week after classes, a group of students will spend about an hour with seniors. Each student tutor will work one-on-one with a senior. In this hour, students will assist seniors with navigating the various features of their own technology devices such as helping them simply set up their Home Screen or applying for a job at the local grocery store. This program will not only allow seniors to gain confidence with their technology, but also create an intergenerational community between students and seniors.

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

Student Leaders: Shiara Pyrrhus (sp23) & Cheyenne Willis (ccw5)
Faculty/Staff Advisor: Toya Camacho

The purpose of Sisterhood is to empower its members by instilling a sense of camaraderie amongst Black women and by supporting Black women as they navigate the world as a double minority. A primary goal of the organization is to instill a sense of unity and community amongst Black women and to equip Black women with professional development tools. Sisterhood aims to provide Black women with a solid platform to discuss and address issues that are often both undetected and overlooked. Sisterhood embodies leading with love.

Storytime

Student Leaders: Greta Gruber (geg2) & Sofia Stefani (sas9)
Faculty/Staff Advisor: Bilal Ansari

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

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.

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 Springstreeters

Student Leaders: Aaron Schroen (ads7) & Ken Morotomi (km19)
Faculty/Staff Advisor: Sam Boyden

We are an all lower-voiced a cappella group that gathers to have fun, learn music, and perform for the community.

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

Willams Rugby Football Club

Student Leaders: Homer Winston (hpw1) & Omar Ahmad (oa1)
Faculty/Staff Advisor: Tim Reisler

The Williams Rugby Football Club had been dedicated to learning, teaching, and playing rugby for 45 years. In fact, an overwhelming majority of our members have little to no experience when they first come down to the pitch. This tradition has created a long history of individual athletic achievement and close team unity. Playing in both the fall and the spring, the club has successfully competed against teams throughout New England, including Middlebury, the University of Vermont, and Amherst.

Williams Animal Awareness Group

Student Leaders: Tiffani Castro ([email protected])
Faculty/Staff Adviser: Paula Consolini
Meeting Time/Place: Paresky

WAAG aims to help animals both within and beyond the Williams Community by facilitating informed and thoughtful discussions on issues concerning animals. In addition, WAAG creates several opportunities for people to engage with animals to relieve stress. Students can either volunteer with Bonnie Lea Farm, Clover Hill Farm, and the Berkshire Humane Society (Humane Race held in early May), where they can interact with several animals such as horses, chickens, cows, dogs, and cats.

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

Student Leader: Carlos Hernandez Tavares (ceh9) & Ollie Saleh (oas1)
Faculty/Staff Adviser: James Mahon

Our primary goal in College Dems is to mobilize Williams students to help elect Democrats and liberals at the local, state, and national level. We will also partner with local organizations to help further liberal goals through community volunteering, and will work with other college groups and the college itself to better the Williams community through advocacy. Finally, we hope to provide Williams students with the connections and experience needed to pursue a fulfilling future in public service, community organizing, non-profit work, and other enterprises revolving around government, community, and advocacy.

Williams College Gospel Choir

Student Leaders: Jacob Chen (jmc8) & Eunice Kim (ek10)
Faculty/Staff Advisor: Bilal Ansari

The Williams College Gospel Choir is a Christian-based, student-led group that worships God through song and prayer. The goal of Gospel Choir is to foster love and compassion among the members of the choir through worship. We invite people of all faiths to come and worship with us as we sing and pray to God. In addition to other performances and a biennial community service trip during spring break, we hold one main concert each semester hoping that through our worship, the students on this campus may know about the love of God and build community.

Williams College Jewish Association

Student Leaders: Molly Fraser (mrf2) & Emily Cohen (emc4)
Faculty/Staff Advisor: Seth Wax

The mission of the Williams College Jewish Association is to provide support for the religious and cultural Jewish community on campus; to provide the resources essential for each Jewish student to practice their religion in the way they desire; to maintain a physical space on campus where Jewish students feel at home; to provide a diverse and vibrant social scene for Jewish students and their friends; to practice Tzedakah, the Jewish obligation to advocate for and support charitable and righteous causes; to provide an opportunity for students of all faith traditions to be a part of Jewish culture on campus; and to be guided by the principles and values of Judaism.

Williams Effective Altruism

Student Leaders: Alex Kim (ajk5) and Alexis Ahn (aa19)
Faculty/Staff Advisor: Sarah Jacobson

Williams Effective Altruism aims to help students think more actively and rationally about the various problems the world faces, so that they can maximize their positive impact. Our main activity on campus is our introductory fellowship, where we talk about how we can use our resources and careers to tackle some of the most pressing problems in the world, including ending global poverty and factory farming, mitigating technological risks, preventing future pandemics, and stopping climate change. To learn more, please visit our official website.

Williams Empower Through Health

Student Leaders: Nina van der Velde (ncv1) & Rebecca Kim (rdk3)
Faculty/Staff Advisor: Kiaran Honderich

Williams ETH seeks to pioneer the fight against the global mental health crisis by supporting the organization who provides psychiatric medical care and reforming social norms regarding mental illness in the Busoga region of Uganda. Through partnerships with the community, we hope to create long-term, sustainable improvements regarding treatment for those suffering from psychosis, among other mental illnesses. In addition to empowering and expanding health education locally, we aim to involve the Williams community through creating interdisciplinary dialogue surrounding global health inequities with a primary focus on mental health. Ultimately, our work to provide scientifically-based education and treatment is rooted in the necessity to not only dispel misconceptions surrounding mental illness, but to facilitate the incorporation of mental health as an essential aspect of universal health.

Williams Outing Club

Student Leaders: Isabel Albores (isa2) & Mila Nazarali (msn2)
Faculty/Staff Advisor: Scott Lewis

Williams Outing Club (WOC), through the efforts of its volunteer student leadership and Faculty Director stimulates participation in and appreciation for outdoor activities. In so doing, WOC will further an ideal of college education, develop personal initiative and leadership, promote skills in outdoor recreation, educate itself and the college communities about environmental conservation, seek new opportunities for outreach, and encourage the meeting of people of common interests.

Williams Positive Pathways Partnership

Student Leaders: Ruby Lawrence (rml4) & Emma Nathanson (esn1)
Faculty/Staff Advisors: Ash Bell

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 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 Sustainable Growers

Student Leader: Lydia Von Schwanenfluegel (lv5) & Darren Wang (ddw1)
Faculty/Staff Advisor: Sarah Gardner

The Williams Sustainable Growers (WSG) promote awareness of and access to sustainable food and agriculture. The group plans and manages two organic gardens on campus: the Parsons Garden on Dodd Circle, and the Class of 1966 Environmental Center annual garden beds.

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

WRAPS

Student Leaders: Bekah Lindsay (ral2) & Charlotte Luke (cel3)
Faculty/Staff Advisor: Colin Ovitsky

WRAPS works at the intersection of food insecurity and food waste, employing a two-part model that connects the Williams College campus with the North Adams community. WRAPS packages excess dining hall food into meals that are then distributed to local organizations in North Adams while working to expand our impact through collaboration with on-campus and community partners.