College Consensus ranks Siena number nine on its list of top Catholic colleges in America. Siena’s Franciscan and Catholic heritage represents the heartbeat of our Mission and inspires our person-centered values.
At Siena, service isn’t just something we do—it’s who we are. Rooted in our Franciscan tradition, our service opportunities empower students to lead with compassion, serve with purpose, and create lasting change in communities near and far.
Through hands-on experiences, both locally and globally, you’ll not only change the lives of others—you’ll gain invaluable skills, new perspectives, and a deeper understanding of the world around you. At Siena, service isn’t just about giving back—it’s about stepping up, taking action, and becoming a force for good. Where will your service journey take you?
EXPLORE OUR SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES
Mentoring & Tutoring
Through our mentoring and tutoring programs, you’ll have the chance to make a real difference in the lives of local youth while gaining valuable leadership and communication skills.
Whether you’re helping a child build confidence in reading, guiding a middle schooler through academic challenges, inspiring a high school student to pursue college, or just playing games at a local arcade, you’ll be a role model, educator, and mentor. These programs, led by the Franciscan Center for Service and Advocacy (FCSA), connect Siena students with meaningful, hands-on service opportunities that truly change lives.
Community Partnerships
These partnerships aren’t just about volunteering—they’re about creating real change in the Capital Region and beyond. You’ll leave a lasting impact on community partners through our programs while gaining valuable skills, new perspectives, and a greater connection to the community.
Immersion & Mission Break Trips
Siena’s Immersion & Mission Break Trips take you on unforgettable journeys where you’ll serve communities in need, learn about social justice issues, and gain a new perspective on the world—and yourself.
Whether you’re spending spring break in a new city helping families rebuild or immersing yourself in a different culture to better understand global challenges over summer break, these experiences will change your outlook—and your future.
Franciscan Service Trips
Want to make a real impact while exploring new places? Siena’s Franciscan Service Trips take you beyond the classroom and into communities where you’ll serve, learn, and grow—all while living out the Franciscan values of compassion, service, and social justice.
Academic Service Learning
Through academic service trips, you’ll combine hands-on service with academic exploration, gaining valuable insights while helping communities in need.
These service-focused travel experiences allow you to apply what you learn in the classroom to real-world social, economic, and environmental challenges. Whether you're working with underserved communities, tackling sustainability challenges, or advocating for social justice, you’ll return with a deeper understanding of the world—and your role in it.
Local Outreach
At Siena, service starts right in our own backyard. Through local outreach & community service days, students come together to support local organizations, neighborhoods, and individuals in need. Whether it’s cleaning up parks, stocking food pantries, mentoring children, or assisting local shelters, these opportunities allow you to make a meaningful difference in the Capital Region.
Advocacy Initiatives
At Siena, service goes beyond volunteering—it’s about standing up, speaking out, and taking action. Through advocacy initiatives, students have the opportunity to address pressing social justice issues, raise awareness, and create real change in their communities and beyond. Whether advocating for environmental sustainability, poverty alleviation, human rights, or racial and social justice, Siena students turn their passion into purpose.
Athletics Service
Saints Athletics goes beyond the game—our student-athletes are committed to making a difference both on and off the field. Through various community service initiatives, they embody Siena’s Franciscan values by volunteering their time and talents to support local organizations, schools, and events. Whether it’s organizing charity drives, mentoring youth, or participating in community clean-ups, Siena athletes are dedicated to using their platform to serve and uplift the community.
Explore our Departments!
Where is the best place to get connected to the type of service you're interested in? Explore our service-driven offices to see which is the right fit for you!
FCSA offers extensive volunteer and advocacy opportunities which allow the Siena community to discover, experience, and respond to the needs in our local community and to be agents of change and advocates of justice.
Opportunities with various agencies and organizations throughout the Capital Region
One-on-one mentoring between the inner-city youth of the Capital Region and Siena students
Immersion Programs that offer students, faculty, and staff transformative experiences in communities, both close to home and abroad, struggling with poverty, injustice, and inequality
ACE is built on community-engaged learning. Saints who participate in ACE programs have the opportunity to enhance their academic experiences by getting out of the classroom and into the world.
Bonner Service Leaders - Four year commitment to combine service and community engagement with academic and career goals
NEXT Fellowship - Student-led teams that engage in extensive capacity building research and problem or project-based consulting with community partners
SPIN - Summer program that connects faculty, students and community organizations in multi year participatory action research projects
SienaServes Community Service Day - Annual event that brings the Siena community together to perform acts of service for local groups and organizations
Serving in the community is one of the binding aspects between Siena Athletics and the college's Franciscan roots. Each academic year, student-athletes and coaches donate time and energy to give back to the Capital Region and beyond. Siena's athletic teams annually combine to record upwards of 2,000 community service hours over the course of an academic year.
At Siena, we are committed to creating a more just, peaceable, and humane world by providing tomorrow's leaders with the Education for a Lifetime. The Center for International Programs proudly supports our students and alumni as they seek out exciting and innovative means of fulfilling this commitment.
Siena's Franciscan Mission Office provides transformative experiences that are person-centered and relationship-driven to enhance the development of the whole person.
At Siena, service is more than an opportunity—it’s a way of life. Whether you’re helping those in need in our local community or making a global impact, the experiences you’ll gain here will shape both your future and the world around you. Ready to make a difference? Your journey starts at Siena.
