Graduate institute for engaged teaching and research
Graduate Institute for Engaged Teaching and Research
During the fall semester break, the Institute offered its annual Graduate Institute for Engaged Teaching and Research, designed for graduate and professional students in all fields at all levels interested in applying their disciplinary lens and tools to issues of justice. This widely sought-after program explores principles and effective models of public scholarship and community engagement, and participants experience a mix of dialogue with community and academic leaders, workshops, guided reflection, and community walking tours.
Participants report that the Graduate Institute has opened horizons to new ideas and project possibilities, energized them to be involved in the local community while at Notre Dame, and motivated them to collaborate with each other further.The Graduate Justice Fellowship provides graduate and professional students with the opportunity to develop moral purpose in their discipline, gain an understanding of how their work can be a force for justice, and provide an interdisciplinary community to enhance their education.
“The institute brought together students from all academic backgrounds to engage with the community of South Bend and beyond, which generated beautiful discussions and highlighted the incredible work that is being done in the area. Change does not happen in a vacuum, and this experience demonstrated the crucial role community engagement, peacebuilding, and restorative justice can play in eliciting meaningful change.”
– Vannesa Campuzano Villalobos ’25 MA
2025 Graduate Institute
The 2025 Graduate Institute will take place October 22–24 (Wednesday–Friday of fall break). Focusing on themes of restorative justice, mass incarceration, art and community, and the ethics of engaged teaching and research, the Graduate Institute meets at Geddes Hall and includes travel throughout the region to meet with community experts.
Students will be awarded a $300 stipend for successful completion of the three-day institute.
The application is now open until Monday, September 22, and all graduate and professional students from across the University of Notre Dame are encouraged to apply at the button below.
“In grad school oftentimes we get so caught up in readings and deadlines and grades that we lose sight of the things that brought us here in the first place,” Mello said. “Working with the local community is a very important aspect of my work ethic and personal fulfillment, so this opportunity really helped ground me and connect with the things that matter to me.”
– Giuliana Mello ’25 MA
Previous Graduate Institutes
Previous Graduate Institutes have provided students firsthand encounters through conversations with community leaders at the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Peacemaking Center in Dowagiac, Michigan, the Foundry Field murals in South Bend, and the Indiana Women’s Prison in Indianapolis, among other sites.
Contact
For questions about the Graduate Institute, contact Connie Mick at cmick@nd.edu.