Community Engagement and Public Service Activities

The Chicago Peace Fellows, coordinated by the Egan Office, promote peace and solidarity between neighborhoods by leveraging the knowledge, wisdom, talent, and aspirations of grassroots leaders and their neighbors. The program, which started in September 2019, serves diverse populations including children, youth, young adults, adults, older adults, men, families, and various ethnic communities. Through various initiatives, the Fellows contribute to cultural appreciation, business development, educational access, environmental education, public safety, health education, and social equity, impacting over 300 community members with the involvement of non-partnered faculty and staff.

Multi-faith Veteran's Initiative (MVI) works in collaboration with the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs to empower veterans and their families to thrive.  MVI participates on a number of committees to provide input on issues concerning women veterans.

This class follows the Vincentian philosophy by allowing students to learn from the community. This "service-learning" creates an environment of mutual interest, cooperation, and dedication between the students and community members. This is the true meaning of Intercambio, a reciprocal arrangement between campus and community. Spanish 124, 125, and 126 offer DePaul students the unique opportunity to enhance their knowledge about the Spanish-speaking world through community service. The community service acts as a living text. Once a week, students meet with Latinx community members. DePaul students help community members with their knowledge of the English language and U.S. traditions, while the DePaul students learn from the Latinx community members about the Spanish language and Hispanic cultures. This arrangement is intended to be a mutually beneficial relationship—both sets of students learn from one another.

DePaul nursing students in the graduate program assist in gathering information about potential bone marrow donors. Projects entail setting up drives/tables, grassroots advocacy, and social media campaigns targeting various ethnic backgrounds. This effort addresses the underrepresentation of African-American, Latino, Asian, and other groups in the bone marrow registry. Additionally, the project includes outreach to first responders to recruit more individuals for the registry, particularly for a fellow officer in need of a transplant.

Representatives from Egan have attended committee meetings for Parent Engagement as members of the Lawndale Community Academy. Their engagements include designing and troubleshooting renovations for the Parent Room, planning parent events to increase parent and family engagement at the school, and supporting the family engagement efforts of other departments.

DePaul's Steans faculty collaborated with Restaurant Opportunities Centers (ROC), a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving wages and working conditions for restaurant workers. ROC has grown into a national organization, activating thousands of restaurant workers, employers, allies, and consumers. Students enrolled in ANT 322 (winter 2021) collected data based on predetermined research objectives established collaboratively.

This intermediate geography course delves into sustainable urban development, emphasizing the three pillars of sustainability: environment, economy, and equity. We critique prevailing sustainability rhetoric that often overlooks equity concerns and focus on the practicalities of achieving sustainability, particularly in Chicago. Through project-based service-learning, Community Service Scholarly students, collaborate extensively with the Alliance of the Southeast (ASE), a community organization in South Chicago, to support their Sustainable Urban Development framework. By engaging with ASE, students actively contribute to shaping a community vision and advancing equitable development initiatives, such as the Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) negotiations with U.S. Steel and developers. This hands-on approach equips students with invaluable experience in applying sustainable planning tools and addressing urban challenges through a lens of racial and income equity.

The project, spanning years, features 25 expansive murals wrapping around the pillars of the Fullerton L stop. These 10-foot-by-8-foot artworks pay homage to DePaul University's 125-year history, celebrating key figures and moments. Beginning in 2016, the project culminated in the summer of 2022.

Collaborated with the Sheffield Neighborhood Association, it engaged 100 students, who collectively contributed 2,500 hours through coursework, showcasing the power of community collaboration and academic involvement.

This case study, conducted by a DePaul student, delves into the USWA Education System in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan. The system's vision is to provide education for all, fostering a dynamic and prosperous society while upholding moral sanctity and human dignity. Its mission is to educate children from underprivileged regions in Pakistan, with the overarching goals of addressing poverty and enhancing the country's economy.

Community Service Scholars partnered with social entrepreneur Jahkil Jackson and his organization Project I am for their CSS 201 - critical community engagement coursework. Together, they supported a large event benefiting thousands of homeless individuals in Chicago. Through this collaboration, scholars learned the importance of compassion and active listening while interacting with the homeless in Chicago. 

Throughout the Steans graduate fellowship, the student worked with Project: VISION (PV) to expand mental health education and support in the Chicago Chinatown community. Together, they developed teaching modules, identified project objectives, and collaborated closely with PV staff to focus on expanding the socioemotional curriculum.

The student created mindfulness activities for youth and psychoeducational resources for caregivers, aiming to address the community's increased mental health needs exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Service Speaks Conference at DePaul University is an annual event celebrating student service-learning experiences. It provides a platform for students to showcase their projects and collaborations with community organizations. This event includes gaining insights into community-engaged impact, fostering connections with other faculty, staff, and students passionate about service and social justice, and discovering innovative approaches to address community needs. Every academic year, more than 200 courses and programs engage students in community-based service learning (CbSL) and project-based classes, along with community internships, research, and a scholarship program. These initiatives uplift the assets of our community partners, fostering mutually beneficial outcomes.