In April, we held the Ginsberg Center’s Student Grant Showcase at the Michigan Union to highlight the impressive work done by U-M students and their community partners through the grant and Community Leadership Fellows program. Over 115 guest had the opportunity to peruse and discuss students’ projects and learn about ways to engage with local communities and organizations.
The Ginsberg Center is a community and civic engagement center with a mission to cultivate and steward equitable partnerships between communities and the University of Michigan in order to advance social change for the public good. Based upon this mission, our vision is for inclusive democracy; thriving, diverse communities; and equity and social justice.
Our work centers around translating our principles into action through:
- Partnerships: We cultivate an expansive network of community partners (nonprofits, local governments, and K-12 schools), surface community-identified priorities, and connect them with students, faculty, and staff who are invested in positive social change.
- Preparation: We prepare and support students and faculty and staff to create socially just community engagement experiences through advising, consulting, trainings and grants.
- Pathways: We encourage the development of lifelong habits of civic learning through multiple pathways to civic engagement & community change.
We invite you to join us as we work together to strengthen our communities and make a difference that matters.
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Welcome to the BERG!
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The new Edward and Rosalie Ginsberg Building at our original location at 1024 Hill Street features broad windows allowing in lots of natural light, a “green wall” at the entrance. The first floor includes flexibly designed, comfortable spaces meant for students, academic partners, and community partners to meet and collaborate on social change initiatives. Upstairs, staff offices, meeting rooms and a resource library assist the center’s staff in advising and facilitating university-community partnerships.
Stretching 11,000 gross square feet, the new Ginsberg building prioritizes energy efficiency with a closed-loop geo-exchange heating and cooling system, high-performance building materials, and low-flow plumbing fixtures to conserve water. Additionally, inclusivity and accessibility were at the forefront of design for spaces such as a reflection room, personal room, and gender-neutral restrooms.
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Stories from the Ginsberg Center
Welcome to our blog, where you'll find news, event updates, student and partner spotlights, and inspiring examples of how we're working together to make a difference. Dive in to see how the Ginsberg community is creating positive change.
Student Spotlight - Patricia Jewell
Patricia Jewell is a joint PhD candidate in English and Women's and Gender Studies and also serves as the editorial assistant for the Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning, Ginsberg’s open-access, peer-reviewed journal focused on service-learning and civic and community engagement. As an editorial assistant, she connects and communicates with journal partners, organizes and maintains the journal review process, and reviews and drafts feedback for authors. Learn more about Patricia!
Money Moves: Ginsberg Center Partners on Series of Events Focused on Compensating Community Partners
In mid-March, the Ginsberg Center, in collaboration with multiple campus partners, helped host the first of a series of events focused on improving Community Partner Compensation Practices, in which community members, faculty, staff, and others gathered together to re-envision policies that guide how we compensate our community partners for the important work they do.
Unshackled Imagination: Imagine Doing Better in Washtenaw County
What kind of world do you want to exist in 50 years? This question, posed to attendees of a recent Book Talk hosted by the Ginsberg Center, set the tone for an evening spent discussing Dr. Paul Fleming’s Imagine Doing Better: Why Policies Backfire and How Prevention Thinking Can Change Everything (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2025).
Building Community Through Service: The Impact of Alpha Phi Omega
At the University of Michigan, Alpha Phi Omega (APO) helps define what it means to build community through service. Rooted in its 3 pillars of leadership, friendship, and service, APO offers a space where students can make a meaningful impact both on campus and across the Ann Arbor community. Established in 1940, Alpha Phi Omega is an all-inclusive service fraternity with the goal of creating inclusive communities by developing leaders and uniting members through friendship and rendering service to all.
Student Spotlights - Ginsberg’s Community Leadership Fellows Program
The Ginsberg Center offers numerous unique opportunities for U-M students to get involved in their local communities, including the Community Leadership Fellows program. This position is open to undergraduate rising juniors and seniors at UM-Ann Arbor who are interested in addressing community-identified needs and furthering their leadership development.
Two CLFs we’d love to highlight this month are Christina Celeste and Maya Juratli.
Ginsberg joins cross-campus effort to combat social isolation
The Ginsberg Center is excited to be a key partner in a cross-campus effort focused on combating social isolation and loneliness at U-M and across the country.
Student Spotlight - Jordyn Coury
Jordyn Coury (MSW '26) reflects on her many expereinces with Ginsberg (CTAC, Student Grants, Community Partnerships and SFSC) that helped prepare her for current professional role with Community Action Network.
Student Spotlights: Adeli Block, Sylvia Rodriguez, and Brenda Garcia
Get to know three Ginsberg Center students and the inspiring work they’re doing. Through their time with Ginsberg, their interests and passions have fueled meaningful action in our local communities.
Making Resources Accessible - Ginsberg Hosts Community Partners in New Space
In late October, the Ginsberg Center hosted the 2025 Volunteer Management Hybrid Conference held by Better Impact. The conference was a unique event designed specifically for those working in volunteer engagement. This year’s theme was “Show Them the Money,” and was designed to empower volunteer engagement professionals to confidently showcase the tangible financial impact of their work.
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