community engagement | Leo T. McCarthy Center for Public Service and the Common Good

Bringing Community Voice to City Hall

Sheryl Evans Davis wears many hats – USF alumnus, McCarthy Center Board member, Executive Director of the Human Rights Commission and now recipient of an Honorary Doctorate from USF! Before her day of recognition for her achievements in making a more just and equitable San Francisco, she gave us some reflections on her journey thus…

Our Best of Student Success

When you think about the best of USF and the best of student leadership and service, it’s impossible NOT to think about the McCarthy Center. Join us at BOSS – the Best of Student Success – on Friday, October 18 from noon to 2:30 at the McLaren Center. BOSS is part of Celebrate USF, a…

Student Companion to Community-Engaged Learning

I am thrilled to share the outcome of a collaborative project between myself and McCarthy Center Director, Dave Donahue, that has been years in the making! The Student Companion to Community-Engaged Learning: What You Need to Know for Transformative Learning and Real Social Change is a book designed for students to read in the first…

Releasing our 2017 Annual Report

Each year the Center strives to honor the legacy of Leo T. McCarthy through programs and scholarship that promote public service and the common good. This includes undergraduate community-engagement learning, faculty and university-wide development, graduate engagement, and community partnerships at both the local and global level. We are excited to share our 2017 annual report…

Global Privett Scholars Summer Update

The 2017 Global Privett Scholars are spending the summer in Bolivia and Argentina working on community-based sustainable development projects. Our students are cultivating an appreciation for their responsibilities as global citizens and developing personal skills, professional competencies, and values consistent with the mission of the University of San Francisco. Scholars in Cochabamba, Bolivia Gio…

Alumnus Sees the Future of the Booker T. Washington Community Service Center

Jerry Trotter Program Director, Booker T. Washington Community Service Center Ayah Mouhktar, our Communications Assistant, interviewed Jerry Trotter at the construction site for the Booker T. Washington Community Service Center. Below is a reflection on her experience meeting Jerry, discussing the new facility and what it will mean for the families and children of San…

Teaching, Research, Service – and Social Change: Prioritizing Community-Engagement

Like many faculty who integrate community engagement into their teaching, I find it easy to surround myself with people who pat me on the back and cite research that supports my pedagogy. Studies have shown and my own experience has confirmed the potential of experiential education to transform students. And through community based teaching, I have found true co-educators who share my passion for forming students to be agents of social change—at least when they graduate. – Erin Brigham

Why Master of Public Affairs Students Go to Reno

As a first year graduate student in the Master of Public Affairs (MoPA) program at the University of San Francisco, the possible career paths one can take seems daunting, especially in a dynamic and exciting place like the Bay Area. You may have a strong idea about the direction you want to go in, but can never fully articulate where that direction will ultimately take you. – Bianca Rosen