At JCU, we live our Jesuit values every day. In the classroom. On campus. Around Cleveland. Across the world. We show our care for each other and the world we share in a variety of ways.
Ranked #4 for Most Engaged in Community Service in 2025 by The Princeton Review, JCU is proud to say our students complete more than 138K hours of service each year. Many of these opportunities are coordinated through JCU’s Center for Service-Learning and Social Action (CSSA) in partnership with scores of local organizations.
Engaging in the community promotes empathy, provides practical experience, and pushes you toward personal and professional fulfillment. Whatever your calling or passion, JCU will connect you with opportunities to serve.
Meaningful Moments: Ways to Serve at JCU
From community-based research projects to student-driven service activities, you’ll find many ways to make a meaningful difference.
Service-Learning Courses
Community and civic engagement is embedded into many JCU courses. Combining theory and practical experience, these unique classes not only benefit students, but society as well. In 2024, JCU offered 58 service-learning courses across 11 academic disciplines.
Weekly Service-Learning Activities
Connect with your community. Community engagement is integrated throughout the curriculum and student experience. CSSA hosts ongoing service opportunities throughout the academic year. Every week you’ll find a new way to get involved, from engaging with incarcerated youth to volunteering at a senior center.
Special Service Projects and Events
JCU hosts several annual or special one-time service events. These include Jesuit Day of Service, an annual spring clean-up project in local neighborhoods, Meet CLE, a first-year experience, and many other one-time opportunities throughout the semester.
Academic-Based Internships
The Summer in the City Internship Program allows JCU students to gain real-world experience while serving with nonprofit organizations like Fatima Family Center, Ignite Hope, Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless, Global Cleveland, and Catholic Charities Migration & Refugee Services.
