University Community Service Center
The University Community Service Center (UCSC) connects students to civic engagement opportunities, on and off campus, that complement the University of Chicago’s rigorous academic experience. Part of the Office of Civic Engagement, UCSC provides a range of resources that contribute to student civic learning and impact across the city of Chicago.
Founded by Michelle Obama in 1996, UCSC helps students make meaningful connections with Chicago’s diverse communities and prepares them to become productive, thoughtful leaders in their civic, academic, and professional lives. More than 2,000 students participate in UCSC programming in partnership with more than 250 Chicago organizations per year.
Through UCSC, students can learn from, and contribute to, organizations and initiatives making a meaningful impact across Chicago’s neighborhoods.
Students are connected to a broad spectrum of engagement opportunities and commitment levels tailored to a range of interests.
Get Involved!
Featured news
Nearly 100 community partners introduce incoming College students to Chicago and how to engage with the city at annual Engage Chicago orientation event
Featured news
First student awarded scholarship in honor of historian, civil rights activist Timuel D. Black
Featured news
Congratulations to our 2024 UCSC Student Leader and Community Impact awardees!
Featured news
Celebrate Earth Month with the UCSC and our Partners!
Profiles
André Tse
Summer Links
Summer Links pairs undergraduate students like Tse with internships at local community-based organizations and examines social issues impacting the city of Chicago.
Brooke Davis
Tech-Savvy Friends CSRSO
Every other Friday, Davis and her group lead technology sessions at Hyde Park’s Augustana Lutheran Church in partnership with Chicago Hyde Park Village (CHPV), a nonprofit support network for older adults in the neighborhood.
Ashlyn Sparrow
Education Partnerships, Weston Game Lab
Ashlyn Sparrow wants young people from Chicago’s South Side to take her job someday. As the Assistant Director of the Weston Game Lab at the University of Chicago, Sparrow is a game designer who is always eager to show young people that they too can turn their personal interests into fulfilling careers.
Julian Green
Summer Links
An Environmental and Urban Studies major and Critical Race and Ethnic Studies minor who grew up on Chicago’s South Side, rising fourth year Julian Green says participating in the Summer Links internship program channeled passion into meaningful impact.
Naomi Kebede
Summer Links
For more than 20 years, Summer Links, a program now led by the University Community Service Center within the Office of Civic Engagement, has paired undergraduate students with internships at local community-based organizations like Black Star to explore social issues impacting the City of Chicago.
Esi Koomson
University Community Service Center
Supporting organizations that support the South Side through UCSC, especially as the COVID-19 pandemic has taken a heavy toll on the area, has been a meaningful way for Koomson to stay connected to her community and join forces with like-minded peers who care about making a positive impact, even if engagement this year has been largely virtual.
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