Are you a current first year student? Then NDBridge may be for you! NDBridge is a one-credit course and an eight-week immersive summer experience where students think hard about injustice, work with communities around the world that face it, and consider their responsibility to the common good while at Notre Dame and beyond. If you’re a sophomore or junior please check out Social Concerns Summer Fellowships.

Students selected for the program take a one-credit course in the spring semester of their first year which focuses on understanding the challenges marginalized communities face and provides a framework for encountering people in those communities. The course, in addition to orientation sessions, develops an awareness of what justice looks like, examines how systemic injustice is created and perpetuated, and asks students to consider their responsibility to promote justice and the common good. 

The application for NDBridge 2025 is now closed. For questions, please contact Jhaylee Busby at jbusby@nd.edu.

The Details

Summer Dates: Saturday, May 31, 2025 – Saturday, July 26, 2025

Course Credit and Times: NDBridge is a 1-credit S/U Spring semester course that will take place on Wednesdays, 6:00–8:00pm (first class will be February 12, 2025)

Financial Information: All travel, food, and housing expenses are covered. In addition, students receive $2,500. 

Housing: Students live together in groups of four, a model that fosters the support of intentional community. Students live either on site or close enough to walk or take public transportation to their work site (i.e., no cars).

Sites: See the 2025 NDBridge Site Descriptions.

Social Issue Categories: See the Social Issue Category Descriptions.

Site Categories: See the 2025 NDBridge sites listed by social issue category and Spanish language proficiency requirement.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will I have to pay for travel from my $2,500? No, all travel, housing, and food will be paid for. You will also receive $2,500.

Will I get my first choice of site? It depends on interest in the site and attributes that would benefit the site and you. The best approach is to stay open to other possibilities if the first preference doesn’t work out or if our staff recommends another site.

Do I need to create a resume if I don’t have one? No. The application provides space to spell out your interests, skills, and experience, which are the qualifications we are looking at.

What about safety? The University of Notre Dame and the Institute for Social Concerns are committed to student safety. Each organization has safety guidelines in place, and students will receive a rigorous orientation about their site, city, country, living arrangements, etc. There will also be a faculty member assigned to each pod of students who will check in on a regular basis. In addition, Institute for Social Concerns staff can be contacted 24/7 throughout the summer experience.

What will I do at my site? Each site has a specific description linked to it. Site descriptions may change as roles develop and needs at the site change.

What will the class be like? The NDBridge one-credit S/U class will prepare students for an immersive summer commitment to marginalized communities. It will also teach students how to encounter others in ways that celebrate human dignity and respectfully pursue the common good in their local community or across the world. Self awareness, cultural humility, solidarity, and systems of injustice will be examined. Students will also receive site and category specific training.

What if I change my mind about my site preferences? You can change your mind about site preferences during the interview process and will be given opportunities to confirm your site preferences later in the selection process.

Stay in touch

If you have questions or want to make an appointment to speak with one of the program directors, email jbusby@nd.edu. Want to speak to a NDBridge alumni? Reach out to our 2024 NDBridge Alumni Team!

For updates regarding NDBridge, please fill out this form.

Testimonials from NDBridge alums:

“This was an AMAZING experience! I am truly so grateful, and I feel so blessed to have connected with the most inspiring students on such a deep level. Thank you for offering us this experience; it was life-changing to say the least!” Ceci, Stewart Home

“This was truly an enlightening, growth-filled, and unique experience that I believe was very important for me to have at this point in my life.” Mary Michael, Mission of Our Lady of the Angels

“NDBridge gave me the best summer of my life. No, that is not hyperbole. I am infinitely grateful for the opportunity I had to share life at L’Arche Jacksonville, and I will be recommending the program to every single freshman I meet!” Joe, L’Arche Jacksonville

“The experience was truly life altering in the best way possible. I feel like I have grown personally and come back a different person. I think differently about how I see the world around me, and it is enlightening to say the least. I believe that everyone should have an experience like this.” Lizzie, NPH

NDBridge and Summer Fellowship participants bring a research question to their summer experience, and submit their findings at the end of their 8 week commitment. Check out this year’s winners, who received up to $5,000 in funding to continue their research over the coming year.

Learn more about ISC summer engagement here!

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