Dear Colleagues:
I am pleased to invite students in your units to participate in the Spring 2023 We CU Community Engaged Scholars program. We CU is supported by units across campus that are committed to community-engaged work, and embodies our university’s mission to serve our community and expand high quality and interdisciplinary community engagement activities for students across our campus.
Since its launch in 2020, nearly 2,000 students from across campus have participated in We CU. These outstanding students are making a positive impact on our community through more than 500 community partner projects, while building their resume and enriching their university experience.
We CU provides students with training, support from program leaders, and access to virtual and in-person service opportunities through the University of Illinois’ Community Learning Lab. The program also offers mini grants to offset any costs related to service and make service opportunities accessible to more students. Students completing 20 hours of service each semester will be honored at an awards ceremony following the Spring 2023 program, with distinct recognition given to those who complete 200 hours of service prior to graduation.
We ask you to encourage all students, and especially those enrolled in service-learning courses or academic programs with built-in service requirements, to get involved with We CU. The service We CU volunteers complete for their courses or academic programs can count toward university recognition and they have access to training and resources to enhance their service-learning experience. Students can enroll in the Spring 2023 program by visiting wecu.illinois.edu/join-we-cu.
Questions about the program may be directed to the We CU team by emailing we-cu@illinois.edu.
Sincerely,
Wanda E. Ward
Executive Associate Chancellor for Public Engagement