DePaul University is among six institutions from across the country that will be honored for its civic and community engagement programs by The Washington Center (TWC) for Internships and Academic Seminars.

Recognized for its commitment to public service and community involvement, DePaul will be presented with the Higher Education Civic Engagement Award during The Washington Center’s annual awards luncheon at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. on Oct. 3. Honorees were chosen from among 140 nominees based upon their leadership in community programs and projects.

“Service to the community is a core principle of education at DePaul,” said Rev. Dennis H. Holtschneider, C.M., president of DePaul University. “We have long been a leader in creating curricula that is rooted in engaging Chicago institutions in collaborative relationships that enhance learning while serving underserved populations” “The experience our students gain through community engagement not only adds value to their education but it also prepares them to be socially engaged leaders after graduation.”

Also this week, DePaul was named as one of the nation’s top 25 schools for service learning programs in U.S. News & World Report’s annual higher education ranking. It was the seventh time DePaul has received that honor in recent years.

DePaul’s civic and community engagement programs are coordinated through three departments. The Irwin W. Steans Center for Community-based Service Learning integrates service projects from 300 community partners into more than 160 courses annually across the university’s curricula.  The DePaul Vincentian Community Service Office in University Ministry, which comprises 21 student organizations, volunteers more than 20,000 hours of service a year to 20 community partners throughout Chicago.  The Monsignor John J. Egan Urban Center builds capacity research and outreach at the grassroots level within community organizations.  It hosts a multi-year partnership with the Chicago Public Schools, a W.K. Kellogg Foundation-funded project to build bridges between the African-American and Latino communities of Chicago, and a Community Engagement Certificate program that prepares non-profit and public sector employees to work with the populations they serve.  

“The Higher Education Civic Engagement Awards were created in 2009 to find colleges and universities that are true role models for civic engagement in the academic community,” said Mike Smith, president of TWC. “DePaul University has created an environment that brings students and community organizations together, showing that the best and most well-rounded academic experience is not just defined by classroom learning.”

This year’s award committee was chaired by Geraldine Mannion with the Carnegie Corporation’s U.S. Democracy Program. It also included Chris Caruso with GenerationOn, Thomas Ehrlich with the Carnegie Endowment for the Advancement of Teaching, Peter Levine with The Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning Engagement, Heather Smith with Rock the Vote, and Michael Smith with The Case Foundation. DePaul President Rev. Dennis H. Holtschneider will accept the award on DePaul’s behalf.

The other academic institutions receiving the 2011 Higher Education Civic Engagement Award include Benedict College, Augsburg College, Duke University, Florida Gulf Coast University and San Francisco State University.

About DePaul University

With more than 25,000 students, DePaul University is the largest Catholic university in the United States and the largest private, nonprofit university in the Midwest, The University offers approximately 275 graduate and undergraduate programs of study on two Chicago campuses and four suburban campuses. Founded in 1898, DePaul remains committed to providing a quality education through personal attention to students from a wide range of backgrounds.

About The Washington Center

The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars is an independent, nonprofit organization that serves hundreds of colleges and universities in the United States and other countries by providing selected students challenging opportunities to work and learn in Washington, D.C. for academic credit.  The largest program of its kind, The Washington Center has close to 50,000 alumni who have become leaders in numerous professions and nations around the world.  It was established in 1975.