PACE_CENTER

What do you care about? And what are you going to do about it?

The fact that you’ve come to the Pace Center website suggests you’re the kind of person who likes to get involved. There are many ways to do that at Princeton, and Pace is here to help you find opportunities that suit your particular interests and abilities.

From freshman pre-orientation through graduation, civic engagement is a significant part of the Princeton experience for many students who find it to be a meaningful and even life-changing activity. Developing civic skills and leadership abilities, applying academic knowledge to real-life challenges, knowing the satisfaction of making a difference—these are some of the rewards of active citizenship.

What exactly is civic engagement? A simple definition is taking action to identify and address the problems of society. You can read more about it in our Civic Engagement FAQ.

The elements of active citizenship include:

• Recognition that we all have an obligation and an opportunity to work collaboratively to improve our communities
• Active involvement in the democratic process, including thoughtful and regular participation in deliberative discussion, respect for diverse opinions, and recognition of the value of every community member’s contribution
• Sustained focus on solving public problems using academic, intellectual, and technical skills and building on informed understandings of communities’ needs and assets
• Commitment to effective leadership and collaborative work to promote the public good

The brochure Engaging at Princeton is a good place to begin exploring opportunities for civic engagement here.

The Pace Center website complements this presentation, and the Weekly Civic Engagement & Public Service E-Newsletter provides updated information about events, volunteer opportunities, internships, funding, and jobs.

The Student Activities Fair, held twice a year, is an easy way to get acquainted with the outlets for active citizenship at Princeton.

The Undergraduate section of the Pace website includes a wealth of information targeted specifically at undergraduate students, and we encourage you to explore these pages. Here are some links that might be of particular interest:

Engaged Academics:
The Engaged Academics section explains how to apply classroom learning to real-world problems; it includes a list of relevant classes and a faculty directory.

Student Organizations:
Many of Princeton's student-run organizations have service and advocacy objectives. You'll find some examples on the Pace Center's student organization page. There's a complete list of undergraduate student organizations on the website of the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Students. To learn more, plan to attend the Student Activities Fair at the beginning of each term.

Direct service:
If you’re interested in hands-on volunteer work, check out the Student Volunteers Council (SVC) (SVC) and Community House. A number of other organizations also sponsor direct service at Princeton. Read more on the Pace Center's direct service page.

Weekly Civic Engagement & Public Service E-Newsletter:
The Pace Center newsletter provides timely updates about lectures, events, internships, jobs, volunteer possibilities, and other opportunities related to civic engagement and public service. The newsletter is published weekly during the academic year. To sign up, send an email to pace@princeton.edu.

Civic engagement news at Princeton:
Read about Princeton students who are active citizens on campus and in the broader community.

Contact Us:
Get in touch with the Pace Center staff; we’re here to help individuals and groups identify next steps for their project ideas.