For Students

Our passionate, dedicated students reach beyond our campus to take part in the life of our city and use their talents to support our neighboring communities.

Each year, thousands of UChicago students work and volunteer in local schools and community organizations. On campus and off, students are empowered to challenge conventional thinking as they confront some of the most pressing challenges of our time.

Working alongside neighborhood partners, our students engage with the broader community, build lasting relationships, and expand their horizons as they bring their energy, enthusiasm, and fresh ideas to classrooms, community centers, and civic institutions across the city.

By becoming active participants in civic life, students make a valuable and lasting contribution to Chicago during their college years. Through these activities, they also hone their skills, broaden their worldviews, and develop a commitment to civic engagement that will shape and enrich the rest of their lives.

Civic Advising

Are you a student who wants to be involved in civic engagement at UChicago, but aren’t sure where to start? Do you have an idea you’d like help getting off the ground? Would you like to kickstart your own engagement by getting connected to our network of civic engagement program leaders on and off campus? Fill out this form to let us know a little bit about your interests, and someone from our staff team will get in touch shortly.

Questions? Email us at ucsc@uchicago.edu.

Pathfinder

Find paid and volunteer opportunities with Office of Civic Engagement programs: Civic Knowledge Project, Collegiate Scholars Program, Community Programs Accelerator, Neighborhood Schools Program, Office of Special Programs-College Prep, and University Community Service Center.

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Neighborhood Schools Program

The Neighborhood Schools Program is a community outreach program creating pathways of engagement between the University and local schools.

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Community Programs Accelerator

The Community Programs Accelerator helps equip nonprofits that serve the South Side with tools and resources to fulfill their unique missions.

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Chicago Bound

Chicago Bound is a pre-orientation experience, sponsored by the University Community Service Center in partnership with the Institute of Politics, aimed at giving you a solid foundation to become a well-informed, active member of the city so that you can break out of the UChicago bubble and make the most of your college experience. You can begin engaging with Chicago Bound content and events virtually in August, and you can also apply to take part in our in-person cohort experience, from September 14-19, during which we engage with different community partners around the city!

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Community Service Fund

The CSF is a funding body that allocates part of the Student Activities Fee toward events that are focused on community service.

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Summer Links

Summer Links is a 10-week summer internship program where students are hired by a community program or organization to work as a summer intern. The cohort is made up of students from a range of majors who are committed to public service, community building, and social change.

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Seeds of Justice

Seeds of Justice is a community-building and leadership development program designed to provide a group of 20 selected first years with a long-term opportunities to engage on the South Side and learn about multiple social issues.

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Yevanit Reschechtko, AB'15, Neighborhood Schools Program

“I felt that the Neighborhood Schools Program was an important stepping stone for me to become more informed about educational policies and gaps that children face in these neighborhoods.”

Jonah Benning-Shorb, SB’20, Chicago Bound

“Chicago Bound has really inspired me and taught me and given me the tools to go forward to not only work on political campaigns, but work on social justice initiatives in the community."

Will Davis, AB'17, Summer Links

"One of the reasons I wanted to join Summer Links was to understand what I had been learning in my classes in a new way, from new perspectives, from community perspectives."

Claire Sampson, AB'19, Neighborhood Schools Program

“As a Neighborhood Schools Program volunteer, I felt that I was in classrooms to build relationships with students and teachers and schools. It’s all about those 35 kids and what they need, whether that means helping a teacher prep curriculum work, grading papers, or working with a student one-on-one.”

Student Civic Engagement Center

Home to the University’s two largest student civic engagement programs — the Neighborhood Schools Program (NSP) and University Community Service Center (UCSC) — the Student Civic Engagement Center is a central hub for student civic engagement activities on campus.

Edelstone Center
6030 S. Ellis Ave.
Chicago, IL 60637