Neighborhood Centers

UIC supports two place-based initiatives in the Auburn Gresham and Lawndale communities. Programming in our neighborhood centers fosters engagement amongst community members, UIC faculty, students, and staff.

The neighborhood centers aim to:

• Boost Black student enrollment and retention at UIC and other post-secondary institutions.
• Provide responsive services to address systemic disparities in education, economics, and health in Auburn Gresham and North Lawndale.
• Act as partners and catalysts for continuous community and economic growth in these neighborhoods.

Our work is centered around the following tenets of Participatory Research:

• Turn the research endeavor on its head – move from doing research “on” communities to “with” and “in service to” communities
• Consistently listen first to communities, second to UIC – hear their articulation of needs and aspirations
• Support and encourage community expertise in Greater Auburn Gresham and Greater Lawndale
• Build communities of practice inside of UIC – align community articulations with our campus-based expertise and resources.