PHOTO: Duke students in Meeting the World Through Chamber Music (MUS 398)—co-taught by Profs Hsiao-Mei Ku and Caroline Stinson—engage in advanced collaborative performance while exploring how music connects people across settings and generations. Through a service-learning partnership with Kidznotes, students mentor young musicians and perform in schools and community spaces, using music as a powerful model for connection and social change.
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As we begin Spring 2026, we continue our exploration of this year’s Duke Service-Learning theme: Being Rather Than Seeming (Esse Quam Videri)—North Carolina’s state motto.Â
Spring offers a natural moment to return to the essential. In service-learning, that means showing up with care, building trust over time, and engaging authentically with our community. This semester, we’ll keep asking what it looks like not just to do service-learning, but to truly be engaged in it.Â
👉 We’re starting the semester with a Community Action Day (details below), with more theme-aligned opportunities and events ahead — including the launch of our first Community Partner Newsletter, spotlighting the work of a SLCE community partner. Be sure to sign up, and follow us on Instagram  and LinkedIn to stay connected throughout the spring.Â
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2/2 (MON), 11:30am – 1:00pm, Mini-Symposium: Faculty Practices - Join Duke Service-Learning for a mini-symposium featuring SLCE faculty talking about reflection techniques used in their courses. Faculty presenters Yan Liu, Katie Hyde, and Adam Rosenblatt will share a favorite reflection activity - be it written, discussion-based, visual, creative - followed by a brief Q&A. We’ll follow presentations with a conversation about working with Gen Z students. RSVP here. Â
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2/19 (THUR), 4:00PM-6:00PM, COMMUNITY ACTION DAY: EMANUEL FOOD PANTRY - Join the Duke Service-Learning team for a Community Action Day at Emanuel Food Pantry. We’ll help support the pantry’s weekly service to over 700 families by packing and sorting food. Register for a shift.  Â
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Betsy Alden Outstanding Service-Learning Awards - Nominate a student, faculty member, or community partner for their commitment to service-learning. Award recipients receive $500 to support leadership and community-building efforts. Guidelines can be found here. Email Kathy Sikes (kathy.sikes@duke.edu) your nomination . Deadline is March 20th!
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Opportunities, Events & Deadlines |
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Applications Open | DCAB & Public Art Committee Student Memberships — Students living or studying in Durham County are invited to apply for 1-year voting roles on the Durham Cultural Advisory Board or Public Art Committee. Apply here.
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April 20, 2025 | 1st Annual Duke School of Nursing Rural Health Symposium — In-person and livestreamed event focused on reducing rural health disparities; open to students, faculty, staff, alumni, and practitioners. Register and apply for abstracts by Feb. 9th.
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Food Pantry Capacity Grants (Deadline: Feb. 19): NCCE member campuses can apply for up to $1,000 to support or expand an on-campus food pantry. Duke students interested in food access or hunger initiatives are encouraged to explore this opportunity. Apply here.
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| Teaching Death, Teaching Life
For more than two decades, Professor Deborah T. Gold’s service-learning course Death & Dying asked students to do something rare in higher education: learn how to be present with people at the end of life. Through sustained community partnerships and deep reflection, students learned that care, grief, and connection are essential parts of learning. Last fall, Gold taught the course for the final time — leaving a legacy of presence that continues through her students. 👉 Read more »
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| | Building Connections Through the First-Year Experience
Duke’s First-Year Experience helps students find belonging through shared inquiry, meaningful relationships, and learning that extends beyond the classroom. From cohort-based courses to hands-on community engagement, these programs create early opportunities for connection with peers, faculty, and Durham neighbors. This story highlights how faculty like Joan Clifford help anchor these experiences—guiding students to engage deeply, build community, and begin their Duke journey rooted in connection. 👉 Read more »
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| Bridging Campuses and Classrooms
This episode of Duets explores how universities can work together to strengthen public schools and the communities they serve. Featuring Alec Greenwald of Duke University and Yolanda Dunston of North Carolina Central University, the conversation highlights a shared, community-driven approach to supporting schools as hubs of opportunity, care, and innovation. Tune in to hear how cross-campus collaboration can power lasting change. 👉 Listen now »
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