Community Members

Welcome! 

This page is for you, as a community member or community organization, to find out about the variety of ways in which the University of Miami is engaging its academic resources in the enrichment of civic and community life in South Florida.

Major Initiatives

Miami Housing Solutions Lab: The Miami Housing Solutions Lab was created by the University of Miami’s Office of Civic and Community Engagement to provide resources and tools on local issues in affordable housing and community development. Featured projects include: the Miami Affordability Project, a free interactive online map for visualizing neighborhood-level housing dynamics; the Housing Policy Timeline, which highlights major milestones in housing policy and finance and their impacts on Miami's neighborhoods; and the Policy Toolkit, which outlines innovative policies that promote affordable housing and examines how these strategies can be adapted to the Miami market. To find out about upcoming demonstrations, click here (link to calendar pending).

Community Scholars in Affordable Housing: This innovative program is designed to familiarize emerging leaders and young professionals with best practices in community development and affordable housing policy and practice in the United States. The program is open to interested professionals working in non-profit, for-profit, and government sectors including development, real estate, finance, design, public administration, community and economic revitalization or related fields. Community Scholars runs from January through June. Applications open each fall. 

Civic Engagement High School PartnershipThe Civic Engagement High School Partnership promotes increased competency in core academic subject areas—History, English, and STEM disciplines—as well as builds and sustains a college-going culture at  traditionally underrepresented and historically underperforming Miami-Dade County Public Schools. History and English majors partner with Southridge High School teachers in history and language arts to enhance the curriculum, give guest lectures, and mentor students. Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) majors participate in the Science Made Sensible Program, which enhances the public school curriculum with innovative activities and fosters intellectual engagement among the youth of our community. Interested in learning more about these partnership opportunities? Click here for the application and additional information.

Service-Learning Courses: Courses that link the classroom and community through hands-on, experiential education that is transformative. These courses:

  • Promote the interrelationship of teaching, research, and service through theory, action, and reflection in response to community needs.
  • Develop and translates academic knowledge, critical thinking, and community engagement into civic responsibility.
  • Foster mutually beneficial collaborations between the university and the community to promote positive social change.

If your organization is seeking interns or researchers, or would like to partner with a faculty member teaching a service-learning course, please let us know.

Just need volunteers? Contact our university partner, the William R. Butler Center for Volunteer Service and Leadership Development .