Irwin W. Steans Center

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Welcome to The Steans Center

The Steans Center is DePaul University's source for community engagement opportunities through curriculum, research, internships and scholarships. We are here to support DePaul faculty, students, and community partners. The Center hosts the Egan Office for Urban Education and Community Partnerships, the Institute for Restorative Educational Engagement, and the nonprofit Asset-based Community Development Institute

Learn more about Community Engagement at DePaul

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Steans Center in the News

Intercambio: A Program of Community, Language and Cuture

Building Job Experience through Building Connections

How DePaul students engaged with the community during an unpredictable year

Student book club at Cook County Jail perseveres amid a pandemic

Center partners with Australian Catholic University on community engagement

Service Learning During a Time of Pandemic and Protest

Upcoming Events

​Asset-Based Community Development Trainings 

Sustainable Food Systems and Service Learning in the Dominican Republic

 
Rio Limpio
For DePaul student Carys Lovell, the experience of studying abroad in the Dominican Republic provided a unique perspective focused on service learning, engaging in community-based projects, and learning about another country's history, culture, and geography. “I learned from this trip that you can learn so much from being immersed in a culture different than the one you live…That’s what I would tell students who can apply to this program,” said Lovell, an alum with BA and MS degrees in community psychology.
The Dominican Republic (DR) Study Abroad Program is one of many opportunities at DePaul for students to engage directly in issues of sustainability and equity through community engagement and service learning. The short-term study abroad program began in 2015 and is set to embark upon its fifth iteration during Winter Quarter and Spring Break 2025. During the trip, student experience centers on a partnership with high school students at the Centro Regional Estudios de Alternativas Rural (CREAR) in the mountainous town of Rio Limpio near the DR-Haiti border.
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Harrison I. Steans Graduate Fellowship 

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Apply for Graduate Funding

Deadline for Summer Quarter 2025:

October 30, 2025

The Harrison I. Steans Graduate Fellowship supports DePaul students accepted and enrolled in any graduate degree program.

Awards are $1800 per quarter (masters) or $2000 (doctoral) per quarter for up to three quarters ($5400 or $6000 total).

Fellowship projects are designed collaboratively with off-campus organizational partners, focus on social equity, and draw inspiration from the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 
To apply, click here
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