Civic Engagement & Public Service
Inspired by Princeton's unofficial motto "In the Nation's Service and in the Service of All Nations," Princeton University's students participate in numerous civic engagement and public service programs. These initiatives enrich communities extending from campus to locations across New Jersey and beyond. The following information highlights areas in which graduate students can volunteer their time.
Pace Center
Community House
Student Volunteers Council
Princeton Internships in Civic Service
Community & Regional Affairs
Graduate School, Office of Student Life
Pace Center
The Pace Center helps members of the extended Princeton community to identify and address issues of public concern through engaged scholarship, active citizenship, and effective public leadership for the purpose of building stronger communities and societies throughout the world. Pace works with graduate students in a variety of ways, helping them to create civic engagement projects and locate existing opportunities for involvement, as well as offering support for their current activities. The Center can connect graduate students with campus activists, local organizations, and other resources to address the issues they care about.
Program Highlights:
The Civic Engagement Break Project
Scholars in the Schools
Princeton Project Inside
Address: 201D Frist Campus Center
General contact information: pace@princeton.edu, (609) 258-7260
Community House
As a community action center, Community House served the specific needs of the local residents and centralized the efforts of students and existing campus organizations working in the area. Today, releocated to the Carl Fields Center, Community House maintains its commitment to local residents in the Princeton Borough and Township communities. Community House is a diverse gathering of Princeton University students and staff committed to responding to needs identified by the community to enrich, empower and renew the lives of underserved children and families in the Princeton Borough and Township by providing educational, cultural and recreational programs.Programs within organization:
Big Brothers/Big Sisters; SAT Prep; ESL Tutoring; Preschool Reading Readiness; One-Time Annual Projects; and more
Address: Fields Center, 86 Olden St., Princeton, NJ 08540
General contact information: house@princeton.edu, (609) 258-6136
Student Volunteers Council
The Student Volunteers Council promotes an ethic of community involvement and works to foster and strengthen partnerships within our community. SVC builds upon the assets of students and other community members and encourages a holistic vision of our community through awareness, action and reflection. Founded in 1967, the SVC has grown to become Princeton's largest student-run organization. SVC facilitates discussion on community issues, sponsor service trips around the country during breaks, host the annual Community Action pre-orientation program, and coordinates over 40 weekly service projects in Princeton, Trenton and Greater Mercer County.Programs within organization: The SVC sponsors more than forty projects which work with community organizations in Princeton, Trenton and surrounding areas each week of the academic year. Projects are grouped into seven categories: (1) Education and Tutoring; (2) Elderly Outreach; (3) Health; (4) Mentoring & Tutoring; (5) Social Action & Emergency Services; (6) Special Needs; (7) Youth Outreach.
Address: 22 Murray-Dodge Hall
General contact information: svc@princeton.edu, (609) 258-5557
Princeton Internships in Civic Service
Princeton Internships in Civic Service , open to Princeton students in all classes and recent graduates, offer placements in national and international community and public service organizations involved in a wide variety of areas, including community development, education, the environment, group advocacy, health and social services, housing, legal services, public policy, youth services and the arts.
The Fund provides Princeton students the opportunity to explore possible careers in public service and the non-profit sector by bringing their creativity, skills and energy to their internships. Through real-world experiences with their sponsor organizations, interns, produce effective, meaningful work for their organizations. Internships focus on projects emphasizing work in the field, in research or in personal interaction rather than in routine office work.
Address: 12 Stockton St., Princeton, NJ 08542
Contact information: info@69csf.org, (609) 921-7948
Community & Regional Affairs
The Office of Community and Regional Affairs (CRA) serves to link the "gown" or University with the "town" or the non-University communities that surround the University. Implementing the town/gown connection means that the CRA team is the liaison to state and local government officials, as well as to residents living in the region. The Office of CRA sponsors numerous community outreach activities and programs that respond to the general public.
Address: 22 Chambers St., Suite 101, Princeton, NJ 08542
General contact information: pucra@princeton.edu, (609) 258-3204
Graduate School, Office of Student Life
In addition to the areas above, students can also take advantage of the volunteer opportunities put forth by the Community Associates (CA), Community Programs Coordinator (CPC), and Assistant Dean of Student Life. Recent opportunities put forth by the aforementioned individuals of the Graduate School include: 5K walk-a-thon with the Pace Center; volunteering at the NJ Food Bank in Newark, NJ and volunteering at Loaves & Fishes Soup Kitchen in Trenton, NJ. The CA, CPC and Assistant Dean will continue to provide community service opportunities throughout the academic year.