RISE offers incoming students the chance to get proximate to issues of justice in South Bend or their hometowns and to consider possible responses on an individual and societal level. Participants are part of a cohort of pre-matriculating students who are guided by Notre Dame faculty and Institute for Social Concerns staff to better understand the demands of justice rooted in a sense of place. 

2025 Applications Have Closed. 2026 Applications will open on May 1st, 2026. Complete this interest form to be notified when 2026 applications open.

RISE is grounded in the pedagogy of the Institute for Social Concerns, an interdisciplinary unit that considers the demands of justice through research, courses, and curricular and co-curricular programs. Through RISE you will:

• Find a community and cultivate friendships around justice-oriented commitments
• Get to know South Bend or your hometown through the lens of justice
• Discover a logic of community engagement via the ethics of encounter and the principles of human dignity in the Catholic social tradition
• Understand a basic framework for the theory and praxis of justice 

Two Options: Rise South Bend or Rise Hometown

RISE South Bend

This pre-orientation program allows a small cohort of students to come to Notre Dame and South Bend before welcome weekend to build community and explore the structures of justice and injustice in their new home for the next four years. Participants in this select group will:

• arrive on campus on Friday, August 14th, and begin a one-week immersive experience;
• experience some of the culture, history, food, and arts that make South Bend such a wonderful place to live;
• work with community organizations and local leaders devoted to justice and the flourishing of all people; 
• meet with Notre Dame faculty, staff, and alumni; and 
• present on their experience at the end of the program.

The program will wrap up on Thursday, August 20th, so that students can then move into their halls along with other first-year students. All on-site expenses, including food, housing, transportation, are covered. Students are responsible for travel to Notre Dame. 

Dates: August 14–20 (Friday –Thursday), 2026 (7 days)

Application: Applications will open on Friday, May 1st, 2026. Until then, please complete the interest form below to receive program info and to be notified when applications open.

Questions? Contact Regina Williams-Preston, RISE South Bend Program Director at rwilli49@nd.edu.

Or feel free to reach out to one of our RISE South Bend Alum All Stars: Grace Lynch (RISE 2022) at glynch2@nd.edu or Ethan Chiang (RISE 2023) at echiang@nd.edu. They will be happy to answer any questions you may have and share their personal experience of RISE South Bend!

RISE Hometown

This pre-orientation program allows a small cohort of students to work in their hometowns while in (virtual) community with Notre Dame faculty and staff. Participants in this select group will

• work in their own community with a non-profit organization that addresses the needs of marginalized populations (100 hours of in-person service between June 29th and July 31st);
• participate in a virtual orientation and overview the principles of community engagement;
• participate in weekly virtual programming sessions with Notre Dame faculty;
• share summer work in September at a post program event for fellow participants; and
• receive $1,500 in funding for participating (funding will be dispersed to participants in August).

Dates: Monday, June 29th – Friday, July 31st, 2026 (5 weeks)

Resources:

Application: The RISE Hometown application will open on Friday, May 1st, 2026 and close on Monday, June 15th, 2026. Until then, please complete the interest form below to receive program info and to be notified when applications open.

Questions? Contact Ed Jurkovic at ejurkovi@nd.edu. Want to speak with past participants? Reach out to our 2024 RISE Hometown Alumni All Star Team!