<p>One of the main reasons I want to transfer out of my current school is due to its enclosed and “bubble-like” nature. The school is situated very close to the heart of the city, but there is very little interaction between the students and the outside world. Very few students do service projects in the city, very few students take advantage of the resources of the city, etc. I talked to the director of transfer admissions over Thanksgiving break and he says that, on the whole, the University enjoys a wonderful relationship with the city of Chicago. He also mentions that although UChicago is in Hyde Park, the University exercises some influence over certain municipal issues that go on in the city of Chicago, especially in areas such as public education and other policy issues. This appeals a great deal to me. Can anyone else comment on this?</p>
<p>I guess there are a few ways to answer your question.</p>
<p>First, on the most immediate level, many students are involved in Neighborhood Schools Program (NSP). Students are dispatched to Chicago public schools around the South Side and help out in classrooms. The University also runs the University Community Service Center (UCSC) which sponsors a lot of trips around the area to clean up parks, etc. Links:</p>
<p>[Neighborhood</a> Schools Program](<a href=“http://nsp.uchicago.edu/]Neighborhood”>http://nsp.uchicago.edu/)
[UCSC</a> - University Community Service Center at the University of Chicago](<a href=“http://ucsc.uchicago.edu/]UCSC”>http://ucsc.uchicago.edu/)</p>
<p>Another cool program is the Civic Knowledge Project:
[Civic</a> Knowledge Project | The University of Chicago Division of the Humanities](<a href=“http://civicknowledge.uchicago.edu/]Civic”>http://civicknowledge.uchicago.edu/)</p>
<p>The University is also quite involved in the neighborhood of Hyde Park/Kenwood and the surrounding neighborhoods (mostly Woodlawn, to the immediate south, but to some extent Englewood to the west and Bronzeville to the north too). There are a lot of conversations-- a lot-- as to if and in what ways the University should be involved in these neighborhoods, and there’s a lot of conversation back and forth regarding the University’s past relations and future relations. Given that this sort of dialogue has always been of interest, and given the recent tragedy, there is even more conversation on the institution’s role in the neighborhood than usual. I can’t say that you will agree with the way the University conducts itself in its environment, but I can promise you that you will find dialogue about it. (A friend of mine recently went to a meeting with a member of the Board of Trustees to discuss exactly these issues of involvement/ignorance).</p>
<p>Thirdly, we offer a lot of classes that use the city as a textbook-- a lot of urban politics classes, anthropology classes, history of Chicago classes, architecture classes. If nothing else, students can become involved with the city on an academic and intellectual level.</p>
<p>What do the students do in classrooms? If I’m accepted and choose to go there, I’d love to get involved in schools. Education is a big issue for me.</p>
<p>From friends I have in the program, they tell me that it varies based on how much power your teacher is willing to hand to you and how much you want to do. I imagine if you want to do a lot, you’ll be able to (and the NSP office can probably pair you off with a teacher who wants to work with a driven intern).</p>
<p>I forgot to mention that you can do NSP FOR PAY. As part of work/study and the like.</p>
<p>How much time do people usually spend doing this?</p>
<p>6-10 hours a week, ish?</p>
<p>Awesome, unalove. EXACTLY what I was looking for.</p>
<p>Historically, relations between UofC and surrounding communities have been strained, especially Woodlawn. For a number of years, from the 70s to the mid 90s, many felt that a kind of fortress mentality existed within UofC. In the past decade, this has moderated, but one must still keep in mind that the University and parts of the Hyde Park Kenwood community are islands of affluence surrounded by people with serious challenges. </p>
<p>The demographics of the surrounding areas are rapidly changing and I do think the U gets blamed for broader decisions regarding rebuilding of devastated neighborhoods. Some of the activist critics of the U also have unreasonable expectations, IMHO.</p>