Service and Civic Engagement Opportunities

In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the University Community Service Center has developed and sponsored a set of opportunities to bring campus and community together for a variety of events. 

In-Person Service Opportunities:

King Day of Service, Bronzeville – On Monday, January 16 from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., join the Fifth Annual King Day of Service: Bronzeville, which brings together residents, nonprofits organizations, and institutions to support local schools in the community. The service day, which is co-created by the University Community Service Center in partnership with community organizations across Bronzeville, will focus on beautification projects at Chicago Public Schools and other community sites. Learn more and register now.

Additionally, the UCSC can provide support with transportation between campus and the event to those who need it. Please email us at ucsc@uchicago.edu and let us know. We will reconnect with all requesters and share details in early January. 

The UCSC is also pleased to promote these other ways to engage Chicago for King Day:

  • Calling All Alumni: Register for MLK Day of Service Projects – Join the UChicago Office of Civic Engagement and the Alumni Club of Chicago in community service events that bring together students, staff, faculty, alumni, family, and friends during MLK weekend January 14 – 16. There are several service projects to choose from in each community, focusing on everything from alleviating hunger and homelessness to providing much-needed clothing for children in need, neighborhood clean-ups, and more. Register now.
  • My Block, My Hood, My City's MLK Day of Service: join on Monday, January 16 at 10am and help as they collect food, PPE, winter apparel (hats, gloves, scarves) and home goods for delivery to over 500 seniors across Chicago. Learn more and register here.
  • Obama Foundation and The Honeycomb Project: join on Monday, January 16 at the Southside YMCA to prepare meals, create birthday cards for seniors, plant seeds for produce and pack self-care kits for those in need. Learn more and sign up here. 

Besides these opportunities, there are countless other ways for students and members of the UChicago community to engage with the city and the South Side all throughout the year through the work of the UCSC and the Office of Civic Engagement. You can learn more here.

Not able to participate in person? Send us an email and we can help you find something asynchronous or remote that can still make a big impact! 

Dialogue and Conversation Opportunities:

Dr. King in Chicago (Communi-Tea with UCSC Special Event): Neighbors, faculty and staff, alumni, and students are all welcome to join us on Friday, January 20th from 2-4pm for a discussion on how different parts of Dr. King's work have influenced how many of us carry out his legacy, and how that plays out in the city of Chicago and the South Side. We are looking forward to a riveting, respectful discussion as we dig into how we square Dr. King’s icon status with his radical ideas, how our neighbors have carried his legacy forward, and how we can make space for different kinds of civic action in our thinking and our lives. We will provide the tea, coffee, hot chocolate, croissants, macaroons, muffins, and other light, afternoon tea-like snacks. You bring yourself, a neighbor/friend, and a willingness to engage! Learn more and register here.

The UCSC is also pleased to promote the following conversation opportunities: