Recognize ableism
Examine the roots of oppression and inequity, and understand how ableism shapes everyday experiences.
UMASS AMHERST · COMMUNITY & CONNECTION
Everyone deserves
a place to belong.
Real friendships. Shared experiences. A student-led community working toward a world that includes everyone.
SRVCLRNG 220 · 2-credit UMass courseStudent-led. Community-centered.For more than 50 years.
Better
together.
together.
Different experiences.
One shared sense of belonging.
FriendshipRecreationInclusionShared experiences
01 / WHO WE ARE
Connection is
where change begins.
A cooperative effort between UMass Civic Engagement & Service-Learning and our local community partners.
The Boltwood Project brings UMass Amherst students together with people with cognitive and developmental disabilities through weekly activities, recreation, and friendship.
Our mission extends beyond recreation: we challenge the ableism, exclusion, and isolation experienced by people with disabilities. Together with community partners, we build relationships, support disability rights, and advocate for full inclusion. Each person brings knowledge, strengths, and experiences that help us learn from one another.
01
Belonging
Make space for each person to take part.
02
Reciprocity
Build friendships that enrich everyone involved.
03
Learning
Turn shared experiences into reflection and growth.
02 / THE BOLTWOOD EXPERIENCE
Learn with people.
Grow through connection.
2UMass credits
SRVCLRNG 220
SRVCLRNG 220
Boltwood student members take a 2-credit UMass service-learning course, pairing weekly community experiences with conversation, reflection, and action.
Students from any major can apply. Admission is by program consent, with an application and site-based interview. Experienced student supervisors guide each group, and students can return in later semesters based on excellent performance.
What we learn, together
Practice ethical engagement
Explore approaches to service-learning that center community knowledge, shared power, and social justice.
Listen, reflect, collaborate
Build empathy and curiosity, welcome constructive feedback, and learn with people whose experiences differ from our own.
Turn learning into advocacy
Use what we learn at our sites to question exclusion and support practices that uphold dignity and inclusion.
WHAT MEMBERSHIP LOOKS LIKE
A semester of showing up.
- Weekly site visitsTypically 2–3 hours of direct service-learning per week, depending on the site.
- Three Sunday seminarsOctober 4, November 8 & December 6 · 11 AM–2:30 PM
Furcolo, Carney Auditorium - Reflection & participationWeekly site reflections, seminar reflections, readings, and a final synthesis of your semester.
- Membership in the Boltwood RSOReadings are provided on Canvas; no textbook purchase is required.
Based on the Fall 2026 SRVCLRNG 220 syllabus. Course instructor: Professor Joel Arce. Members should check Canvas and UMass email for current assignments and schedule changes.
03 / OUR HISTORY
It began with coffee.
It grew into community.
A conversation. Six students. A commitment to showing up for others.
Professor Merle Willmann brought students together at a café on Boltwood Walk in downtown Amherst. Their conversations about the world became the starting point for a local community initiative.
Discover our historyMore than 50 years of connection.Generations of students. Relationships that carry the work forward.
From a café table to community action
Willmann, a professor in Landscape Architecture & Regional Planning, and six students named their project after their café meeting place. They began volunteering at the now-closed Belchertown State Hospital.
A place for learning through service
The historic Boltwood archive dates the UMass service-learning course to 1969. Weekly visits brought students and community participants together through recreation and companionship, connecting academic learning with experience.
A new chapter with CESL
When Willmann retired as director in May 2012, UMass Civic Engagement & Service-Learning took on the program with its student leaders, continuing its community partnerships.
The next generation carries it forward
Students pair weekly activities with coursework, reflection, and disability advocacy. Members can grow into supervisors and co-coordinators, helping the next group build friendships and practice inclusion.
Explore the original accounts: UMass CESL history ↗ · Boltwood archive ↗
04 / FIND YOUR COMMUNITY
Different sites.
The same spirit.
FALL 2026
14 sites. Weekly opportunities to connect.
All meeting times are Eastern.
05 / SHOW UP. CONNECT. REPEAT.
See you this fall.
September 26 – December 12, 2026
Site meetings & required seminars · Eastern time
Weekly site meetings follow the fall roster; the three required seminars follow the Fall 2026 syllabus. Confirm holiday and break-week site visits with your supervisor, and check Canvas for course updates.
Underlined dates have meetings or seminars. Select a date for details.
DAILY SCHEDULE
06 / THERE'S A PLACE FOR YOU
Let's make a
connection.
Interested in joining Boltwood? Whether you’re a UMass student, a prospective community participant, or a family member, we'd love to hear from you.
For UMass students, joining includes enrollment in SRVCLRNG 220, our 2-credit course. Contact us about the application process and future openings.
George Varghese George
Co-Coordinator, The Boltwood Project
georgevarghe@umass.edu