DukeEngage | Duke Center for Civic Engagement

DukeEngage in the United States

New Orleans is a returning site from the Summer 2007 pilot program, while new programs have been added in Seattle, working with alumni, and on the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona.

Note that Durham, NC, programs are listed under a separate category (see above).

“DukeEngage in NOLA”
Project Leader: David Schaad, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Prerequisites/Language: None
Group Size: 30
Dates: May 31-August 2
Housing: University Housing

Program Description: Students will intern at local and state agencies involved with serving community needs in the New Orleans area post Hurricane Katrina. Students will be exposed to disaster relief work at the state and local level and will immerse themselves in the cultural, history, and politics of this unique city, thereby gaining an unmatched understanding of the societal issues affecting the citizens of the region.
Primary Contact : Inga Peterson, DukeEngage

“DukeEngage in Seattle”
Prerequisites/Language: None
Group Size: 12
Dates: June 20-August 17
Housing: Student housing at the University of Washington

Program Description In partnership with the Seattle Alumni Club, students will intern in non-profits, non-governmental organizations, and with the local government in diverse internship placements pertinent to the Seattle and the northwest. Through internship placements as well as educational and cultural opportunities, students will gain an understanding of the host of unique features of the region.
Primary Contact: Sarah Trent, DukeEngage

“Encuentros de la Frontera: U.S.-Mexico Border Civic Engagement”
Project Leaders: Charlie Thompson, Jennifer Snead Williams, Tennessee Watson, Center for Documentary Studies, Latino/a Studies, Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies
Prerequisites/Language: None
Group Size: 6-8
Dates: Begins in June (dates to be confirmed)
Housing: Housed at BorderLinks

Program Description: Immigration is perhaps the single largest domestic challenge facing the both the U.S. and Mexico today. People die nearly every week on the border. Hostilities against immigrants in the U.S. are mounting. International relations are strained. This program, through which students will spend at least 10 days in Mexico, will provide DukeEngage students the opportunity to become informed about the issues related to the border and to understand what “comprehensive immigration reform” is as well as analysis of ideas of “amnesty.” The experience will be closely tied to the work of BorderLinks, a well-respected organization specifically designed to work with college students. Volunteer opportunities will range from work with ESL students to emergency first aid. Tangible outcomes of this project will likely consist of documentation projects and film footage that students will share through exhibits, forums, class presentations, independent studies and theses projects.