Community Engagement Programs

Active engagement with the communities of Chicago is an element of most students' Columbia experience: whether it's interning at a community-based newspaper, assisting the marketing efforts of a nonprofit arts organization, spending spring break helping to rebuild a storm-ravaged community, or learning to teach theater to children in an underserved public school.

Engaging Chicago's Youth
7,000 Chicago Public School students each year are served by Columbia's after-school, in-school and summer programs promoting college readiness and teaching black music, jazz, photography, theatre, film, dance, and creative writing.

AP Summer Institute for the Arts
Center for Black Music Research
Center for Community Arts Partnerships
High School Summer Institute
Sherwood Conservatory of Music

Summer Arts Camp
Upward Bound
The Chicago Jazz Ensemble
The Dance Center
Museum of Contemporary Photography