Everyone benefits when students’ public services experiences and service-oriented scholarship intersect with the needs of local communities in the context of meaningful collaboration. Integral to a University of Pittsburgh education, the Elsie Hillman Civic Forum will be this kind of civic engagement entity, fostering the ability of students, faculty and leaders alike to be a vibrant part of the c
ommunity by participating in the betterment of society. The Elsie Hillman Civic Forum (Elsie Forum) will advance the ideals of social responsibility and public service by providing educational programs, research projects, and civic engagement and leadership development opportunities to students and community leaders. The academic and public engagement activities of the Elsie Forum will align with the planned goals of the University of Pittsburgh to strengthen our community through service-oriented scholarship and mindful collaborations with strategic community partners. The Elsie Hillman Civic Forum will serve as a catalyst for the University of Pittsburgh’s efforts to develop our student's knowledge and understanding of civic leadership and democracy, as well as lifelong, active civic engagement for the common good. The work of the Elsie Forum will:
-Engage students with the larger community in ways that actively improve social conditions.
-Deepen students’ awareness and understanding of social and political issues.
-Awaken and activate students, helping them to identify their purpose and passions, and apply these to bettering themselves and their own communities through civic action.
-Teach students to solve public problems collaboratively, across differences of identity, ideology and perspective.
-Promote the use of civic engagement and service-learning as integral and standard parts of the student experience.
-Further the aim of sustainability and principles of sustainable development in everything we do. The Elsie Forum’s definition of “the larger community” is broadly inclusive and will include the greater Pittsburgh region and will be open to creative initiatives that best serve our students and advance the goals of civic engagement for the common good. The Elsie Forum will serve both the University community and the larger communities by acting as a resource and potential networking hub for service learning and civic engagement, facilitating relationships wherever they may advance the Forum’s mission and be mutually beneficial to the parties. The Elsie Forum values diversity in all forms— including diversity of age, culture, disability, economic background, ethnicity, gender, gender identity and expression, marital status, national origin, opinion, political affiliation, race, religious background, sexual orientation and veteran status. Therefore, the Elsie Forum will create a climate of acceptance and will promote the values of diversity and inclusiveness, knowing that these values strengthen our community and are essential to academic and institutional excellence.
