Scholarship & Discovery
Summer Service Partnership
The Summer Service Partnership (SSP) is an exciting 9 week opportunity for rising second-year Pritzker students to work intensively as team leaders and community health project managers in one of our three partner neighborhoods: South Chicago, Greater Grand Crossing, or Woodlawn. Medical students lead college students from U of C to partner with high school students from EPIC Academy in South Chicago, Gary Comer College Prep in Greater Grand Crossing, and the University of Chicago Charter School in Woodlawn. These neighborhood teams provide students a unique opportunity to build deep ongoing relationships with neighboring communities as they create sustainable service projects to respond to community health needs.
SSP participants will receive training in team leadership, asset-based community development, community organizing, the principles of service-learning, advocacy, policy narrative, community-based participatory research, and other topics related to community health. The medical, college and high school students will work together to create asset maps of their assigned neighborhoods, meet with community leaders, visit community organizations, and conduct a needs assessment. Led by the interests of the students and the needs of the community, the neighborhood teams will implement and participate in sustainable service projects that address community health needs. These projects can develop into the scholarly projects required for the Community Health Track of Scholarship and Discovery. Once a week, all neighborhood teams will meet together for discussions with community leaders, community-engaged faculty, and local or state politicians. Neighborhood teams also meet for weekly field trips to community organizations around Chicago. Medical and college students will develop a curriculum for the high school students that may include leadership training, public speaking skills, preparation for college, book groups, and reflection assignments.
Students who are dedicated to community service, have an interest in mentorship and education, and are committed to in incorporating service activities into their curriculum should visit the Pritzker Community Service Fellowship and Community Health Scholars Track pages. The Pritzker School of Medicine, Department of Family Medicine, and the University of Chicago Medical Center's Urban Health Initiative partner to support all service-learning efforts.
Program Details
Click here to download the SSP application
Dates: SSP is a 9-week program, running from June 11 - August 10, 2012
Stipend: All medical students will receive a stipend
Pre-requisites: All SSP students must enroll in the spring Community Health Elective
Deadlines: Applications are due by Wednesday, February 15 at 5:00 p.m. Applicants will be notified by Monday, March 1, 2012. Accepted applicants will have the opportunity to help select the high school student participants. If you have any questions, please email servicelearning@lists.uchicago.edu
Read more about the Summer Service Partnership on each team's blog!
"I had an incredible experience participating in the Summer Service Partnership Program (SSP). This was a meaningful experience for me because I developed strong mentorship relationships with the three high school students I worked with that have continued throughout this year. I also learned a tremendous amount about how to conduct impactful and sustainable community projects by using an 'asset based community development approach' and partnering with local community members. I plan to use these skills in my future service and public health efforts as a physician."
- Becky Levine, MS4 (SSP 2009)
