The Civic Innovation Lab (CIL) fosters impactful collaborations to enrich the South Bend community through unique educational programs and initiatives. Below are the key collaborations that demonstrate our commitment to advancing common good through community engagement and development:
Near Westside Neighborhood Greenway Project
Volunteers from the Lucy Family Institute for Data & Society’s Civic Innovation Lab joined the Near Westside Neighborhood and The City of South Bend to create a pedestrian crosswalk between the IUSB Civil Rights Heritage Center and the Civic Innovation Lab’s office located on W. Washington Street in South Bend, Indiana.
Together Irish Initiative
Together Irish harnesses the collective power of student-athletes to enrich the lives of South Bend residents. This collaboration between CIL and Notre Dame Athletics focuses on inspiring and uplifting the community through a STEM-based curriculum, partnerships with local elementary schools, and special events that unite young community members.
Community Learning Programs
CIL collaborates with the Robinson Community Learning Center to provide educational programs on South Bend’s West Side. These programs combine one-on-one relationships, arts experiences, and lifelong learning in a comfortable environment, offering activities such as parenting education, afterschool programs, tutoring, and summer youth programs.
STEM+Music Education Program
CIL and the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center integrate the arts with STEM (STEAM) in programs like STEM+Music and visual arts. Partnering with local schools, such as Roosevelt and Madison STEAM Academies and Pierre Moran Middle School, they develop innovative STEAM curricula to advance students’ skills in STEM disciplines and support new approaches to workforce development.