At their End-of-Semester Showcase, Duke Interdisciplinary Social Innovators (DISI) displays a backdrop proclaiming their motto: “Do good, be humble, and have fun!” The presentations that follow exemplify this mindset, as graduate students from across Duke University share about their client-centered projects to build the capacity of local partner organizations. Looking back on the past semester, […]
Category: Blog Posts
Reflections on Civic Engagement
by Eric Mlyn, Ph.D | Assistant Vice Provost for Civic Engagement …and to promote a deep appreciation for the range of human difference and potential, a sense of the obligations and rewards of citizenship, and a commitment to learning, freedom and truth. The above is an excerpt from Duke’s mission statement. As I […]
A Camera: a Weapon and an Olive Branch
Guest post by Rachel Rubin ’19 On Sunday afternoon, Hillside High School’s Drama Department prepared for their Senior Night production of Fences—the program’s second play just in the month of February. The 1,200 seat performance hall was teeming with folks in their Sunday best, all wandering about, sharing hugs and laughs. Volunteers sold raffle tickets […]
Traveling to Rhode Island to learn more about Duke & Durham
Guest post by Gino Nuzzolillo, Leah Abrams and Varun Prasad | Duke University Delegation to Brown University Homelessness and Poverty Summit As advocates with the Community Empowerment Fund in Durham, it would make sense for us to be familiar with our student counterparts in Chapel Hill. In reality, we ended up traveling 663 miles […]
Developing Tools for Success- for Yourself and Others
Duke seniors often find themselves pulled in multiple directions when deciding what to do following graduation: do they pursue a position which directly prepares them for a career in their chosen field, or do they take the time to explore other possibilities and gain valuable experience in a position that may not match their major? […]
A Foundation of Appreciation
Guest post by Katherin Castillo | Afterschool Corps VISTA, Duke Community Service Center This semester I have been working as the Afterschool Corps VISTA with America Reads America Counts, a program in the Duke Community Service Center that focuses on tutoring students in K-8 in math and literacy at 16 sites in Durham. In addition to […]
The Game of Politics
My husband and I loaded our children, Jack (age 7) and Reid (age 5) into our car the morning of the Durham primaries, knowing it was the first time since we moved to Durham that we would be electing a new mayor. Prior to the primary, my husband and I had multiple conversations about our […]
Invested Citizenship: Why I engage with my communities and you should too
Guest post by Katie Colleran | Associate Director, Center for Leadership Development and Social Action In college, when presented with the opportunity to write a thesis on any topic, I turned to the volunteer work that had been such a pivotal part of my experience. During a conversation with a man who had been formerly […]
Q&A: Robyn Fehrman on Social Entrepreneurship
Robyn Fehrman is the Director of Programs for the Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship (CASE) at the Fuqua School of Business. In this Q&A, she discusses the definition, mission, challenges and successes of social entrepreneurship. Q: Can you tell me a little bit about your role at CASE? A: We have three buckets […]
Duke University senior honored for community service
ELON, NC – Duke University student Snehan Sharma has been recognized for outstanding leadership and service by North Carolina Campus Compact, a statewide network of colleges and universities with a shared commitment to civic engagement. Sharma is a recipient of the network’s Community Impact Award, which honors one student leader at each school. Sharma is […]