Next Steps: On-campus involvement
Northwestern Undergraduate Organizations
GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT GROUPS
Americans for an Informed Democracy (AID)
Americans for Informed Democracy is an international organization that aims to mobilize and activate young people on various international and social justice issues. We try to engage students through guest speakers, videoconferences, film screenings, and activist campaigns that focus on creating a dialogue on important global issues.
AIESEC (”eye-sec”) is the world’s largest student-run (non-profit) organisation. We are present in over 95 countries, 1000 colleges, and have over 60,000 members! The local community at Northwestern is one of the most active in the world. AIESEC strives to promote cultural understanding through international exchange and campus events. We believe that global exchange of people will increase international awareness, remove cultural barriers, and groom future leaders. AIESEC matches Northwestern students to go abroad to work on paid internships. We also organize and sponsor many campus events relating to global business, development, and cultural awareness—Dean Dipak Jain speaker event and Global Village, to name a few.
As Northwestern’s only program design and student support center dedicated entirely to improving your ability to make a difference in your global world, the CGE offers a variety of opportunities and resources ranging from study abroad programs to student project consulting. We build the capacity of young global leaders like you to cross borders and partner with new communities to produce responsible, sustainable solutions to shared global problems.
The Global Engagement Summit builds the capacity of its staff and participants to engage with new communities and partner in shared global problem solving. Through workshops, critical discussions, community building, and outcome resources, we ensure that our participants have the tools to move beyond their “good intentions” to produce real change.
Global Water Brigades and we would love to find out some more information on involvement in the Northwestern Engagement Coalition. Our group focuses on providing sufficient, clean water to impoverished rural areas in Honduras. Basically we take trips down to Honduras to work with communities to build or improve their water and filtration systems so that their whole community can get access to enough clean water to live.
GlobeMed at Northwestern University
GlobeMed at Northwestern University is a group of undergraduate students advancing the movement for global health equity. Through GlobeMed, Northwestern students work to support health projects in Ghana and develop the knowledge and skills to be future global health leaders. By pairing our efforts to support the HOPE Centre in Ghana with a critical exploration of global health issues, GlobeMed students are enabled with the skills and deep understanding with which to be strong advocates for global health equity.
International Students Association
ISA promotes interaction among students from different cultural and religious backgrounds, serves as a platform for the international student community at Northwestern to voice their opinions and concerns, encourages campus-wide dialogue on global issues, cultural diversity, and international student rights and interests at Northwestern University, and assists international students in their transition to a new surrounding. ISA welcomes not only international students but also those interested in international issues.
Northwestern Model Arab League (MAL) is a student group committed to fostering dialogue about the social, economic, and political issues facing the Middle East and North Africa. In addition to sponsoring on-campus lectures and discussions, MAL students participate in annual conferences, similar to Model United Nations conferences, where they represent different Arab countries, debate current events, and engage in mock diplomacy. We feel that considering the Arab world from the perspective of Arab states is essential for developing a comprehensive understanding of the region’s complex issues and pursuing viable solutions to the region’s most intractable problems.
Northwestern University Model United Nations (NUMUN)
Model UN at Northwestern is built around competing in collegiate level conferences. Additionally, we are involved in campus events and speakers, as well as hosting our very own Spring high school conference, NUMUN.
Northwestern University Conference on Human Rights (NUCHR)
The Northwestern University Conference on Human Rights (NUCHR) is committed to raising awareness, promoting academic dialogue, and mobilizing social action on international human rights issues. The yearly conference brings together distinguished academics, activists, policy-makers, and students from around the globe focused a particular human rights topic. This year NUCHR is going to explore “Human Rights and Humanitarian Aid: Sovereignty, Accountability, and Effectiveness.
NUDAC / STANDNUDAC/STAND envisions a world in which the international community protects civilians from genocidal violence. At its core, our mission is to empower the Northwestern community with the tools to prevent and stop genocide. We do this in a number of ways, including writing editorials, raising money for relief efforts, hosting academic speakers and panels and engaging in many other forms of activism. We are always interested in working with other groups on campus so as to create a larger, more powerful community fighting for human rights.
One Voice is a collaboration of student groups and individuals that come together under a common goal. Each year, One Voice picks an issue and raises awareness and funds for throughout the year for this international issue. The campaign culminates in a live benefit concert at the end of the school year, to unite the campus and show the power of music in creating change.
CIVIC ENGAGEMENT GROUPS
The purpose of Alianza, the largest Hispanic/Latino student organization at Northwestern University, is to unite and support its members to work towards the advancement of an empowered, productive, Hispanic/Latino presence at this institution. Alianza is a cultural, educational, and social programming body, which also serves as a vehicle for activism.
Alternative Student Breaks (ASB)
Alternative Student Breaks is a student-run service-learning organization that sends Northwestern students on week long trips during Winter and Spring breaks and Pre-Wildcat Welcome Week to locations throughout the country to do volunteer work at various service-learning organizations. ASB not only seeks to involve, educate and heighten students’ social awareness, but also strives to encourage lifelong social action.
Americans for an Informed Democracy (AID)
Americans for Informed Democracy is an international organization that aims to mobilize and activate young people on various international and social justice issues. We try to engage students through guest speakers, videoconferences, film screenings, and activist campaigns that focus on creating a dialogue on important global issues.
askbigquestions is a national initiative aimed to cultivate civil society by providing an open space for college and university students to engage the Big Questions of life. Through intellectual discourse, askbigquestions fosters discussion around topics that all human beings wonder about ranging from politics to social change. The initiative consists of: a blog; a print campaign that includes banners, posters, and post-its; and fireside chats with faculty. All events on campus are non-sectarian and open to students of all backgrounds.
Northwestern University’s Center for Civic Engagement promotes a lifelong commitment to active citizenship and social responsibility among students of all ages. Through an integration of academics, meaningful volunteer service, research, and community partnerships, the Center supports students, faculty, staff, and alumni as they enhance their own academic experiences while contributing to stronger communities and a more engaged university.
Environmental Campus Outreach (ECO)
Environmental Campus Outreach (ECO) is a project-driven organization that focuses on impacting change on campus towards environmental sustainability. Through educational programming, greening initiatives for Hillel and Northwestern’s campus, and events which bring together people from across campus around environmental issues, ECO seeks to promote awareness and action which will ensure a greener campus and a greener future.
Habitat for HumanityAs an organization, Habitat for Humanity seeks to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness from the world, and to make decent shelter a matter of conscience and action. Habitat for Humanity Northwestern is a community service organization that sponsors Saturday building sites throughout the year, as well as educational and fundraising events on campus.
H.A.L.O. (HIV/AIDS Literacy Organization) is a small close knit B-status organization whose mission is to increase awareness about the HIV/AIDS pandemic in our community. We do this by sponsoring events regarding the current issue and holding free HIV/AIDS rapid testings on campus. Every year we also hold a fashion show to raise money for HIV/AIDS research.
Inspire Films is a Northwestern University student initiative that aims to produce social issue films that engage with topics affecting our local and international communities. Believing that film has the power to motivate thoughtful discussion and action, Inspire Films produces media and relevant programs that inspire thought, dialogue, critical discussion, and action in regards to various social issues. Inspire’s goal is to create an interdisciplinary approach to filmmaking, allowing students from across disciplines to work together in creating socially responsible and critical media.
National Student Partnerships is an organization that pairs student volunteers with low income, under-served individuals in Evanston to help them find the resources they need to become self-sufficient. Volunteers deal with a wide range of issues including employment, housing, public benefits, financial literacy and health care.
Northwestern Community Development Corps (NCDC)
NCDC is a student-run organization that seeks to engage students in community development at Northwestern, in Evanston, and throughout Chicago. We promote civic engagement through direct service, social awareness, and advocacy. Utilizing existing skills, talents, and abilities, we strive to build mutually beneficial relationships, enriching both our campus and the communities, while forming a foundation for the future.
NU-IMAN hopes to address these issues on the Northwestern campus and Chicagoland area by building bridges with diverse communities through shared volunteering commitments and initiatives of mutual understanding. In working together to address some of the biggest problems facing America, we hope that we can overcome the barriers of misunderstanding and prejudice that are the cause of suffering for so many Americans.
OASIS (Organized Action by Students Invested in Society)OASIS is a community service umbrella organization serving sites in Evanston and Chicago. Our sites reflect a variety of social issues and range from: tutoring adults in basic reading to advanced mathematics, to mentoring overlooked, underprivileged youth, to forming friendships with our community’s senior citizens. Our focus on reciprocity in our relationships and reflection on our time spent volunteering ensures that we are aware of the complexity and diversity of our community and the affect we have as active members of it.
Peace of Mind believes that the boundaries that exist between Islam and Judaism are largely superficial. Accordingly, we host events, such as political discussions, cultural exchanges, and social get-togethers, where students can learn more about Judaism, Islam, and the common ground between the two religions that is so often ignored.
Peer Health Exchange gives teenagers the knowledge and skills they need to make healthy decisions. We do this by training college students to teach a comprehensive health curriculum in public high schools that lack health education. Our vision is to give as many teenagers as possible the knowledge and skills they need to make healthy decisions by building a health education organization that serves teenagers nationwide.
The Northwestern Political Union is a community of students united by their common interest in discussion of political and global affairs. Bringing together students of various backgrounds, ideologies, and political persuasions, the Political Union helps to foster a revival of intellectualism, sincerity, and sophistication in Northwestern’s campus political discourse.
The mission of Promote 360 is to promote the social, academic, and professional well-being of minority students specifically within the School of Education of Social Policy. We strive to accomplish this mission by cultivating a community within our school, networking with faculty and alum, advocating for issues related to our fields, encouraging professional development, and
creating mentoring partnerships with schools within our greater community.
Founded as part of the nation’s first student public policy think-tank, The Roosevelt Institution at Northwestern strives to create meaningful change within Evanston, Chicago and the greater Illinois area through grassroots policy research, educational outreach, community organizing, and advocacy. This year our chapter will focus on three main issues: Energy and the Environment, Health, and Poverty.
The mission of Special Olympics is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for all children and adults with developmental disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community. Special Olympics emphasizes the abilities of people, not their disabilities. The focus is on their achievements beyond expectations, not on limitations.
Spectrum
Spectrum Theatre Company’s mission is to inspire dialogue, thought, and change through the production of theatrical events that engage with social and political ideas. Spectrum uses outreach to bring these ideas to the greater Northwestern and Chicagoland communities.
Student Pluralism Interfaith Network (SPIN)
SPIN aims to promote cooperation between students from various faith backgrounds on and across college campuses in the Chicago area. By bridging the gap of our individual college campuses, SPIN strives to empower students and student organizations to engage one another in sharing information about each others’ programs and working together on new initiatives. This dynamic exchange would improve the quality of interfaith programming for students in their respective college campuses and around Chicago.
Tzedek is a social justice group that strives to engage and empower students in meaningful public service and encourages creative thinking when addressing local, national and global issues. Through our relationship with Hillel, we incorporate discussion of Jewish values of tzedakah (righteousness), gemilut chasadim (acts of loving kindness), and tikkun olam (repair of the world) into our programs and reflections.
