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

Life-long conversations on neighborhoods, housing and gentrification

Community-engaged learning claims many student benefits like making learning relevant by bridging theory and practice, promoting openness to multiple perspectives, and fostering dispositions to further community involvement. As I reflect on my community-engaged learning in college over three decades ago, one measure of that learning’s value sticks with me — enduring questions that I’ve considered for a lifetime since. – David Donahue

Applying ‘Change the World From Here to Washington, D.C.

s I walked into my supervisor’s office on my first day to partake in what would be one of many “huddles” (office lingo for team and one-on-one check-ins), I glanced across her desk to see a sticky note posted on her computer screen which read, “Every day counts!”- Katherine Pantangco

Who’s Leo?

There’s a name that graces our door and the suite of offices located in Masonic #103 and we mention this name dozens of times a day – it’s listed on every brochure, rack card and report that cross our desks. Our young students never had the chance to meet this person and even now rarely find faculty and staff that knew and worked with the Center’s namesake.

Handful Players + Engage San Francisco = a Community Partnership with Mutually Shared Goals

Earlier this month, Ryan Marchand, Artistic Director of Handful Players visited our offices and explained how he became involved with Handful Players –one of Engage San Francisco’s inaugural Community Engagement Grantees. Ryan describes the relationship between the youth theatre group and the University of San Francisco’s place base initiative with the Western Addition.

Chris Matthews Visiting Professor Inspires Millennials

Lauren Feuerborn Master of Public Affairs candidate’17 At the beginning of the semester in Proseminar of American Politics, our professor told us that Chris Matthews of MSNBC’s HARDBALL would be guest lecturing sometime in November. As time got closer the arrival of Matthews expanded to a reception, a breakfast event and two lectures. We were…

Seeing the Past in the Present: A History Lesson Through Walk SF

It was my second week working with Generation Citizen in a classroom. On the projector, there was an image of a map of San Francisco, displaying the districts and neighborhoods shaded in different colors to represent varying levels of unemployment. In front of me, the students, all 9th and 10th graders, took turns asking questions and pointing out things they noticed on the map. – Benjamin Rosete-Estrada

How would I define the graduate school experience?

How would I define the graduate school experience? I wonder how to best define it, I think I could describe it as a pathway to leadership development. My journey has only just begun with the Master of Public Affairs (MoPA) program, but it has already left lasting impressions upon myself. – Sarah Souza

Bringing #Disruption in Political Communication to USF

One of the many things that draws students to our graduate programs in Public and Urban Affairs is our location in the vibrant and diverse San Francisco community. We pride ourselves on giving our students myriad opportunities to put what they are learning in the classroom to use in their “backyard” here in the Bay Area. – Angela Fleekop