MLK Day of Service

Civic Engagement

At the core of who we are as a university is a commitment to give back to the community we’re proud to call home. Our nationally recognized outreach programs partner with the Camden community and organizations from around the region to make a real difference in the lives of those who need it most.

Our Civic Engagement Approach

The Office of Civic Engagement connects Rutgers–Camden to communities beyond our campus. Working with local partners, we support efforts to meet the challenges facing our city, county, and region through engaged civic learning, volunteerism and service, community-based research, and integrated efforts and partnerships. Civic engagement work is done through intentional, mutually beneficial relationships between the Office of Civic Engagement, faculty, students, and community agencies wherein the work and the product of that work is shared, expectations and limitations are outlined through honest communication, and plans for sustainability and closure are well-understood between those that engage.

Pillars of Civic Engagement

Rutgers–Camden Civic Scholars is a learning community of select students who make a substantial commitment to civic engagement in our host city and region.

Since 2011, the Rutgers–Camden Civic Scholars program has connected with city and regional agencies and nonprofits to provide direct service and capacity-building assistance in areas spanning many issues and needs.

Rutgers–Camden faculty members advance student learning and community development through courses that integrate civic engagement into the curriculum.

Civic learning courses have been taught by faculty fellows across many disciplines in all of the colleges and schools at Rutgers–Camden.

 

Through the Civic Engagement Faculty Fellows program, the Office of Civic Engagement prepares Rutgers–Camden faculty members to design and implement high-quality civic learning courses.

The Office of the Chancellor offers grants to support courses integrating the pedagogy of civic learning. Appropriate courses for funding combine traditional academic work and sustained community engagement.

The Civic Engagement Graduate Fellows program at Rutgers–Camden connects emerging scholars with faculty across disciplines to support engaged learning and civic development among undergraduates.

The K–12 Education Outreach initiatives focus on developing collaborative partnerships and initiatives that help to achieve better outcomes for youth and families in the city of Camden, especially those in North Camden, the neighborhood adjacent to the Rutgers–Camden campus.

Make an Impact

There are many ways that we can make a substantial impact in the lives of others, as well as our own.

Students

Through academic courses and programs, along with co-curricular experiences, Rutgers–Camden students become active participants in making positive change. Along the way, our students build skills that will serve them well in their lives as professionals and as members of communities.

student teaching an elementary class

Faculty

Through research, teaching and collaborative projects, faculty and staff from across the campus play a key role in advancing civic engagement. The Office of Civic Engagement supports Rutgers–Camden faculty and staff in all aspects of civic engagement by conceiving courses, projects and programs; connecting with community partners; locating resources; and meeting logistical challenges.

Professor teaching class

Community Partners

The Office of Civic Engagement supports community-based collaborations on a variety of levels, from recruiting students in volunteerism, to providing long-term service internships, to engaging faculty in applying their expertise and experience to civic engagement. If you're a community member looking to partner with us, we want to hear from you.

Raptor Food Pantry
student teaching an elementary class
Professor teaching class
Raptor Food Pantry

Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation Center

How the Truth Racial Healing and Transformation Center (TRHT) is assisting the campus and local community in leading transformational change that dismantles structures, behaviors and biases rooted in racism and oppression.