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About Us

Founded by Michelle Obama in 1996, University Community Service Center (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. Located at the Student Civic Engagement Center at 6030 S. Ellis Ave., UCSC provides student civic education through experiential learning, short­ and long­term volunteering opportunities, civic advising on student­led projects and initiatives, and connections to civic­focused jobs and internships.

Engage Chicago

WHAT WE DO

By working with UCSC, students can:

• Learn about Chicago’s rich cultural landscape

• Explore civic engagement and social impact concepts

• Apply classroom learnings to the world around them

• Connect with and learn from community and civic leaders

• Gain an understanding of existing community organizations serving neighboring communities and advancing an array of social issues

• Support local neighborhoods and residents by contributing their energy, skills, and ideas to the missions of nonprofit organizations across the city

Julian Green and Sandra Reno

OUR PROGRAMS

The UCSC team helps students prepare to become civic leaders and engaged community members by offering leadership development and social change programming that enables students to foster greater social impact.

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OUR RESOURCES

The UCSC team helps students identify and navigate pathways to civic participation at UChicago, connecting them to programs and projects across campus and in the community, and offering engagement workshops and support for student-led projects and initiatives. Staff also help students engage with an array of civic-focused job and internship opportunities.

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VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

UCSC builds relationships with the most impactful nonprofit organizations in Chicago and creates opportunities for students to contribute their time and energy to local communities by volunteering. UCSC also hosts annual service events including Engage Chicago and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service.

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