Duke University has long been transforming the lives of students through the rigor of its academic program, but DukeEngage is enabling undergraduates to translate knowledge into service to society in unprecedented numbers and ways.
DukeEngage was launched in 2007 through the establishment of a $30 million endowment from The Duke Endowment and The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The program has benefited from the additional support of a growing number of generous and devoted alumni and friends.
Since the program began, more than 2,000 Duke students have participated.
The program was launched July 1, 2007 under the guidance of its inaugural director Dr. Eric Mlyn, formerly the director of the Robertson Scholars Program. DukeEngage funding enables roughly 450 Duke undergraduates annually to pursue an immersive civic engagement opportunity over the course of a summer or semester away from Duke.
Any Duke undergraduate who has completed at least two semesters of classes is eligible for participation. DukeEngage will cover expenses (travel and living) associated with the immersive experience (a minimum of eight weeks is required). For students on need-based financial aid, Duke will also assume responsibility for the “summer earnings” requirement.
DukeEngage also has funding for faculty site exploration grants, which faculty will use to measure suitable DukeEngage civic engagement opportunities around the globe.
Students can serve in one of three ways: by participating in a Duke faculty and staff-sponsored or organized program; by participating in a program that Duke coordinates with an outside provider of student internships or volunteer work in the U.S. and/or abroad; by submitting a funding proposal for a unique internship experience of a student’s own creation.
For in-depth information on the myriad DukeEngage opportunities, feel free to explore the section covering our immersion programs.