Community Engagement
Carnegie Mellon is committed to leveraging knowledge and elevating our societal, cultural and economic impact at every level – regionally, nationally and globally – for the greater good.
Meaningful community engagement involves:
• Active and collaborative partnerships.
• Authentic connections with individuals and organizations.
• Respectful, inclusive, culturally competent and accountable programming.
• Valuing community-held experience and knowledge.
CMU advances innovative, sustainable, and productive community-centered change in a number of ways. These channels of engagement include research, teaching, programming and services that aim to address community-identified opportunities, priorities and needs. Scroll down to learn more about how we work with our community neighbors and partners.
Keep reading to learn more about how we work with our community neighbors and partners.
Local K-12 students learn about the stock market as part of the Gelfand Center's outreach workshops.
Supporting K-12 Education
Carnegie Mellon is deeply committed to supporting K-12 education, educators and students. This commitment includes hosting pre-college programs, summer camps and academies, free and accessible online learning, and continuing education credits for teachers.
Each year, thousands of teachers and students utilize CMU resources. Our academic colleges and schools offer a wide range of programs and provide unique educational experiences to more than 10,000 K-12 students and teachers annually.
Learn more about many of CMU’s educational outreach initiatives by visiting the Leonard Gelfand Center for Service Learning and Outreach, the Simon Initiative, or browsing CMU’s various departments and programs, like the College of Engineering Outreach Program.
Research in Our Communities
Carnegie Mellon faculty, students and staff across every discipline are committed to partnering with the community to advance research that benefits our neighbors, near and far.
Through the Center Community Committee (C3), CMU’s Center for Shared Prosperity collaborates with community members to design and launch issue-specific pilot interventions.
The Remaking Cities Institute in CMU’s School of Architecture partners with the community to leverage design research aimed at advancing social, racial, and environmental justice in the built environment.
Our Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholar Development supports student research in every field of study and – through the Community-Based Research-to-Practice Program – funds 8-10 weeks of summer research for CMU undergraduates seeking to positively impact the Greater Pittsburgh Region community.
Community members visit the IDeATE Open Studio in the Hunt Library and experience unique immersive demonstrations in soft technologies, physical computing, sonic arts, and video game design.
Students building booths for the 2024 Spring Carnival.
Community Programming
In addition to a variety of lectures and symposiums that are open to the public, Carnegie Mellon regularly offers programming that is low-cost or free and accessible to the broader community.
This programming spans everything from exhibits, festivals and film screenings to student performances, robotics demonstrations and live figure-drawing. It also includes faculty-led mini-courses through the Osher Institute on everything from financial literacy to folk dancing.
Local Partnerships
Carnegie Mellon faculty and staff are dedicated to understanding and incorporating the interests and input of neighbors and businesses in our backyard. University community members regularly attend neighborhood meetings and events and actively maintain ties with a number of neighborhood associations. If you represent one of these groups, reach out to see how we might be able to collaborate.
We also partner with many local nonprofits and civic groups, including those that assist entrepreneurs, small businesses, nonprofit organizations, community groups and government agencies.
Faculty, Staff & Student Engagement
Community-Based Work Coalition
*For faculty & staff only.
The Community-Based Work Coalition (CBWC) is a network of faculty and staff whose work intersects with the broader regional community. The coalition aims to establish a baseline understanding of the breadth of community-based work at the university, increase coordination between and connectivity with already-established efforts or partnerships and reduce potential duplication. Typically, the coalition meets monthly during the academic year, with meeting content driven by participants, with occasional topical discussions.
Staff Council
*For faculty & staff only.
The chief purpose of the Staff Council is to examine matters related to all staff, and to formulate recommendations to the university administration regarding staff concerns. Staff Council representatives provide advocacy on behalf of all staff members, and contribute to the vibrancy and well-being of the entire Carnegie Mellon community.
Learn More About CMU Staff Council
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Carnegie Mellon University offers its members a wide range of courses taught by members, volunteers, CMU faculty and other regional colleges and universities, and representatives from community organizations, all eager to share their expertise and engage in dialogue with their peers.
Student Civic Engagement
The Office of Student Leadership, Involvement, and Civic Engagement (SLICE) provides opportunities for students to connect with the CMU community outside of the classroom. Get involved in one of our large-scale civic engagement events or join one of the more than 40 civic engagement student organizations on campus.