PHOTO: Students from the service-learning course Health, Culture, and the Latine Community (SPANISH 306CN) partnered with students from Durham School of the Arts to support their 14th Annual Fall Art Festival and Día de los Muertos celebration. Duke students spent time in the community learning how language, health, art, and tradition are deeply connected to community well-being. (Photo Credit: Joan Clifford)

As the trees blaze with color and the season turns toward reflection, November invites us to notice what we’ve cultivated—relationships, understanding, and moments of shared purpose. Across our community, we’ve seen how connection takes many forms: from celebrating cultural traditions like Día de los Muertos, which honor memory and continuity, to small acts of partnership that sustain collective growth.

This month, we celebrate the ways our students, faculty, and community partners are keeping those connections vibrant—through learning, gratitude, and collaboration that lasts well beyond the classroom.

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Each month, we share a reflection that reminds us what authentic engagement looks like in practice.

“It’s not about how long you’ve been somewhere. It’s about how much you invest with the time that you’re there.” — Elaijah Lapay, Duke '24

Through his work with Root Causes, the Lincoln Community Health Center, and Duke Service-Learning, Elaijah Lapay has shown that transformation doesn’t always come from going far—it comes from going deeper.

👉 Read the full article → Student Spotlight: Elaijah Lapay ’24 - Rising senior says embracing the Durham community has deepened his education and impact.

Economics With A Human Focus

Supported by a Trinity Undergraduate Program Enhancement Fund (UPEF) grant, Duke Service-Learning faculty member Genna Miller has developed a new Spring 2026 course, Economics with Community-Based Clients (ECON 390S). Students will partner with Durham organizations to apply economic analysis to real-world challenges — from affordable housing to financial sustainability — while learning how economics can be a tool for equity and community collaboration.

👉 Read the full story

Spotlight on Voyager Scholar Sally Maroa

Duke junior Sally Maroa ’27 has been awarded the Voyager Scholarship for Public Service, created by the Obamas and Airbnb’s Brian Chesky to support future leaders in public service. A Global Health and International Comparative Studies major, Maroa brings a global perspective to local action—researching reproductive healthcare access through Bass Connections and organizing nationally with Rhizome, a youth civic engagement network.  

 👉 Read the full story

Finding the Flow: Hip Hop Pedagogy and Transformative Student Engagement

Professor Kisha Daniels and Duke undergraduate student Selena Collins are featured in the Duets podcast for their service-learning course The Critical Pedagogy of Hip Hop. Partnering with Durham Public School educators, Duke students create classroom experiences that celebrate language, identity, and social justice through hip hop. Rooted in relationship-building and empowerment, their work highlights how community-based collaboration can inspire the next generation.

👉 Listen to the episode: Duets Season 2, Episode 6

Email us at servicelearning@duke.edu