C. Raymond Marvin Center for Student Leadership and Civic Engagement

Who we are and what we do

For the public good. It’s our mission.

The Marvin Center is here to help the BGSU community live out its mission to create positive change.

We connect you to volunteer opportunities through BGSUserves.
We empower you to become leaders of integrity by offering workshops, classes and special programs on leadership.
We encourage civic engagement through voting, service and our annual TEDxBGSU event.
We help you feel that sense of belonging that comes with engaging in meaningful and productive experiences.

The Marvin Center also offers resources to BGSU faculty and staff and community partners who are interested in student leadership development and recruiting volunteers.

About the Marvin Center

Marvin Center students volunteer for MLK site

Create public good with us

Volunteer

We can hook you up with volunteer opportunities, whether you can commit an hour or a day. We also can help your student organization recruit volunteers. It’s all done through our BGSUserves tool. You can even use the platform to record your service hours.

A guide to BGSUserves

Lead

Want to make a difference and have a lasting impact? Cultivate leadership skills. The Marvin Center empowers you to become a leader through conferences, workshops, classes, events and more.

Leadership development

Learn

We offer presentations and workshops on topics from emotional intelligence to group development. We can come to your class, student organization or other group. Let us know what you need!

Explore and schedule workshops

The Marvin Center aspires to develop leaders who serve their communities.

3,420

volunteers

80,000+

volunteer hours in 2023

7,700+

student participants in Marvin Center programming

Additional resources

BGSU Votes

The BGSU Votes team provides election information and works to increase voting participation and create a more politically engaged community. It is a nonpartisan, student-led initiative.

Civic engagement and leadership awards

The Marvin Center is proud to recognize leaders on campus who contribute to the public good. Learn more about the awards and how to nominate someone.

Pay It Forward Scholars Fund

This unique fund helps students with unexpected financial need. Recipients of the scholarship are asked to pay it forward when they graduate.

TEDxBGSU

Students, faculty, staff and community members share ideas and inspire change in this local, independently organized event.

News

Elevating the student experience: 15 BGSU students chosen for prestigious global leadership fellowship Through the semester-long Millennium Fellowship, students apply what they learn to create public good in their communities and beyond.
BGSU nationally recognized for its approach to increase voter participation in upcoming presidential election BGSU has received numerous accolades from ALL-IN Campus Democracy for its efforts to increase nonpartisan engagement among students.
BGSU students complete nearly 100,000 hours of community service in just over a year BGSU students record a monumental amount of community service hours in a little more than a year.
BGSU Votes grows student voter registrations ahead of Election Day with weekly presence on campus BGSU Votes doubled student voter registration totals from last year through robust educational and outreach strategies.
TEDxBGSU highlights the meaning of public good After a four-year hiatus, TEDxBGSU returned to campus to amplify the University's mission as a public university for the public good.

My first semester of college I took a LEAD 1000 course and was empowered to work with my peers for positive change. Since then, I have taken on a leadership minor, became a Student Leadership Assistant in the Marvin Center, and have strengthened my interpersonal and public speaking skills. The Marvin Center has empowered me to make meaningful connections in the BGSU community.

Emma Horner

Student Leadership Assistant at the Marvin Center

I came into college as an introverted, timid individual. I am now a senior with multiple executive roles, awards and achievements. The President's Leadership Academy has helped me embrace the strong voice that I never knew I had. The support from staff and fellow members is extremely encouraging. This program pushes you to not only better yourself, but also the campus and community.

Maia Davidson

President's Leadership Academy Scholar

TEDxBGSU was entirely out of my comfort zone, but I was provided a space that allowed me to grow my public speaking skills. It bolstered my confidence and courage, which I am going to need for my future career.

Elyse Adrian

TEDxBGSU speaker

On the BGSUserves platform, students reflect on who they’re helping, what they’re doing for the community and anything new they learned from the experience. That’s a big part of people returning to volunteer time and again.

Jordan Graven

student volunteer

Upcoming events

C. Raymond Marvin Center for Student Leadership and Civic Engagement

100 University Hall
419-372-9623
marvincenter@bgsu.edu