Want to get involved with Chicago and the South Side this fall? The University Community Service Center (UCSC) is excited to offer programs and help connect you to resources and opportunities to do meaningful, engaged, mutually-beneficial work with our partners and neighbors. At the UCSC, we believe that community engagement can and should be part of your transformative UChicago education. Read on for ways to get connected!
Want to learn more about Chicago's social change landscape and build on- and off-campus networks with your peers? This fall, the UCSC will offer a number of programs where you can engage with your peers and with community partners in conversations to strengthen your community engagement skillset and network.
- Consider applying to to Seeds of Justice, our year-long community-building and leadership development cohort for first-year undergraduates. The program provides students with the opportunity to have and reflect on meaningful service and social change experiences, increase their awareness of complex social justice issues in Chicago, and practice valuable leadership and community-building skills to guide their work in creating change on and off campus. Learn more and apply now!
- Join us for our Fridays at UCSC programming:
- Feature Fridays is a series of conversations between community partners and students about Chicago, civic engagement, and social change. From 12:30-2pm on Fridays between October 20 and November 10, we've invited local community partners who are leading efforts to address housing and homelessness in our communities to campus to join UChicago student leaders in panel-style discussions. Learn more here!
- Afternoon Tea with UCSC is a weekly series exploring the hot tea in the world of civic engagement and social justice, Fridays from 2-4pm beginning October 6. The informal structure of roundtable tea is intended to build community among participants and support robust discussion of civic and community engagement topics. Learn more here!
In addition to these signature programs, during the fall quarter the UCSC will also run a variety of workshops, opportunities to hear from our community partners on campus, opportunities to engage partners off campus through neighborhood visits and service projects, and other special events. Keep up to date on those opportunities by signing up for our newsletter, and by checking our Events page regularly.
Want to engage the city and make a contribution to the work of our partners? There are so many ways you can volunteer or do work with the 250+ community organizations in the UCSC's network:
- Join one of the 40+ Community Service RSOs (CSRSOs) which UCSC supports to do meaningful, engaged, and mutually-beneficial work with community partners. Learn more about those student-led programs and their work on Blueprint.
- Learn about and sign up for short- and long-term volunteering opportunities with our partners. We promote opportunities on Pathfinder, on the UCSC website, and in our weekly newsletter.
- Join us for community service projects. In collaboration with our community partners, the UCSC is excited to lead a series of short-term engagement projects on weekends and evenings this quarter. Check our Events page and our newsletter to learn more as these opportunities become available.
- Not sure where to spend your time? Our team is always available to talk with you and help you find a great service or community engagement opportunity that fits your schedule and your interests! Email us: ucsc@uchicago.edu.
Have an idea for a civic project and want help getting it off the ground? The UCSC offers various kinds of support, from advising and training opportunities, connections to our partners, support with the RSO application process, and much more. Get in touch with Nick Currie, UCSC Director, to learn more and share about your proposed idea.
We're so excited to have you join us this fall!
