In small college towns, there is often one tangible accomplishment that serves as a turning point in town/gown relations. In Lewiston, Maine, that moment came when two Bates College students, at the behest of the community, helped convince an international nonprofit to relocate its American headquarters there. The move by the French organization Forum Francophone des Affaires drew attention to the commitment of the college to the town, which has a large Franco-American population. That accomplishment has helped to transform and strengthen the relationship between Lewiston and Bates.
From Service Matters 1998: Engaging Higher Education In the Renewal of America s Communities and American Democracy
Website: The Forum Francophone des Affaires is online at http://www.ffausa.net/index.html
