Research, Creative Activities & Innovation > Chicago Connections > Progress Through Partnerships

Progress Through Partnerships

DePaul fosters collaborative research, service and education relationships and partnerships that connect, educate, and engage our Chicago community. Some of DePaul’s many current community engagement projects and partnerships are highlighted through our Collaboratory database. The database currently includes over 900 activities with over 600 community partners, including neighborhood groups, schools, hospitals, aldermanic offices, museums, non-profits, community centers, and more. Multiple programmatic and strategic initiatives support DePaul’s work with community partners, including:

Steans Center for Community-Based Service Learning

Many of DePaul’s community partnerships are supported by the Steans Center for Community-Based Service Learning, which serves as a bridge between the university and community, supporting student learning, community development, and faculty teaching and scholarship. The Steans Center coordinates service-learning partnerships and curriculum development, and supports initiatives such as the Sustainable Urban Food Systems Initative and the Inside-Out Program, which provides onsite courses at correctional institutions.

Egan Office for Urban Education and Community Partnerships (UECP)

Housed within the Steans Center, the Egan Office for Urban Education and Community Partnerships advances DePaul faculty and student engagement with public agencies, non-profits, and community-based organizations and schools, addressing critical social issues through innovative scholarship, technical assistance, and educational partnerships. The Egan Office coordinates DePaul’s Urban Schools Initiative and Multi-faith Veterans Initiative, among other programs.

Asset-Based Community Development Institute (ABCDI)

A 501(c)3 non-profit headquartered at DePaul and partnered with the Steans Center, ABCDI supports work that builds on the skills of local residents, the power of local groups, and the supportive functions of local organizations. Asset-based community development draws upon existing community strengths to build stronger, more resilient communities for the future.

Student Urban Research Corps (SURC)

The Student Urban Research Corps (SURC) is housed in The College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences and is made up of graduate and undergraduate student researchers. Corps members work as part of the multidisciplinary Urban Collaborative and participate in data collection, management, and analysis, including the creation of data visualizations, for urban and community-based studies and projects.

SPARK Center

DePaul’s Strategic Partnerships for the Advancement of Research and Knowledge (SPARK) Center turns research into accessible materials that invite community partners into informed conversations that shape the future. SPARK’s data science, design, and AI teams can model and visualize the history of a challenge—as well as multiple predicted scenarios for the future, providing far-reaching impacts that benefit local, national, and global communities.

Chaddick Institute

The Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development offers students and professionals in planning, design, and development a forum to network and share expertise on urban planning issues through events, study trips, workshops, and research.