Student Activities & Clubs | Community at COA

College of the Atlantic

Students shape campus life

At College of the Atlantic, student life isn’t something you attend—it’s something you create. From open mics and art shows to trail runs and community discussions, students shape the experiences that make COA vibrant, dynamic, and full of life. If you can imagine it, you can make it happen here.

Student Life

Find your people, follow your passions

COA students tend to have eclectic interests—and lots of them. In our active, close-knit community, something is always happening, from casual potluck dinners and game tournaments to dance parties and campus conversations that explore global and local issues.

Beyond weekly gatherings, students regularly start clubs and organizations built around what they care about most. That might mean joining a group focused on soccer or sailing, gender identity and LGBTQ+ advocacy, midwifery and alternative medicine, or creative and civic work like literary journals and environmental activism.

No matter your passion, you can find—or create—a community that shares it.

Join a club

Have an idea for a new club?

It’s easy to start one, or to revive a past favorite! View the current list of clubs and contacts—propose a new club—request event support or funding.

propose a club

Clubs and organizations

Students at COA bring a dazzling range of passions to campus—and it shows. Every year, dozens of student-led clubs create opportunities to connect, create, and organize.

Current clubs and organizations include:

Aikido Club
Anime Club
Animal Pre-Professional Club
Badminton
Bateau Press
Boogie Boarders Club (BBC)
Black Flies Running Club
Circus Club
COAmmunity Dinner
Cultural Connections Club
Dance Club
Earth in Brackets
Fiberside Club
Field Sketching
Herbal Remedy Making Club
Judaism Club
Marxist Book Club
Makers Club (Makerspace)
Mending Matters
Project Pizza Club
Tea and Puzzles
TEDx Club
Tennis Club
Rocky Horror Production Club
Spinsters Club
Spanish Breakfast Club
Ultimate Frisbee Club
Water Polo
Witchcraft Club
Zum Kaffeekränzchen
24 Hour Plays

Yoga and meditation

Take time to breathe, center, and grow.

COA offers free yoga and meditation classes multiple times a week, welcoming both beginners and longtime practitioners. Classes span different traditions and are designed to nurture strength, flexibility, mindfulness, and resilience.

It’s no surprise that yoga and meditation are popular here—they align naturally with COA’s core values: self-reflection, intentionality, and sustainability of mind and body.

Explore Health and wellness

Sports and fitness

Whether you’re kicking around a soccer ball, swimming laps at the Y, or hiking up a mountain trail, staying active is part of everyday life at COA.

“Playing soccer at COA is pure fun—everyone’s there to have a great time, regardless of skill level.”

Opportunities include

Staying active at COA often starts right on campus. Students regularly organize pickup soccer, cricket, and ultimate frisbee games, creating low-pressure ways to play and connect. During the winter months, our seasonal on-campus rink becomes a gathering place for ice skating and hockey. Beyond campus, students also take full advantage of year-round outdoor adventures just minutes away in Acadia National Park.

Fitness in the great outdoors

Acadia National Park serves as an extraordinary extension of campus and an everyday fitness resource. Students run, cycle, walk, cross-country ski, and hike throughout the year, using more than 40 miles of carriage roads that are especially popular with runners and cyclists. With over 120 miles of hiking trails, there are options for every skill level. A favorite student route is the 3.3-mile Witch Hole Pond loop, recognized by Runner’s World as a “Can’t Miss Running Adventure.” For those who enjoy competition, students often participate in local 5Ks, 10Ks, and marathons held throughout the year.

Bonus

All students receive a free membership to the local YMCA, COA’s official recreation center. This gives students access to a wide range of fitness classes, including Zumba®, AM Abs, and Tai Chi, along with a swimming pool, weight room, and indoor track. The facility also offers space for basketball, badminton, and water polo, providing plenty of options for staying active indoors year-round.