Jane Addams Center

The Jane Addams Center for Civic Engagement (JACCE) advances the ideals of Rockford University through the practices of community engagement, citizenship, and peace. We at JACCE work to fulfill our University mission of enriching our students’ educations and lives by engaging them with the community. Creating meaningful connections between the University and communities beyond campus, we organize campus service projects and our University-wide annual day of service, assist professors in creating Community-Based Learning and engaged research projects, and offer programming that cultivates an attitude of civic responsibility. 

Our work at the Center is grounded in the ideals and life of Rockford University alumna Jane Addams, who believed in the importance of understanding and reaching out to people in need and taking action to help.

With those core values, the Jane Addams Center

• Connects and supports students, faculty, and staff in forging community partnerships and pioneering projects.
• Strengthens community partnerships by building mutually beneficial relationships as the center serves as a resource and platform for engagement.
• Focuses on areas of need in the Rockford Community and works with Community Partners to help restore and enrich the lives of our fellow citizens.

Approaching civic engagement holistically, we at the Center see ourselves as not only working for the betterment of society but also empowering our students with the knowledge that they can use their college education for the public good and bring about positive change in the world.

Dr. Mary Weaks-Baxter is the Director of the Jane Addams Center for Civic Engagement. She has over 30 years of experience teaching in higher education and in college administration, and has worked with students on civic engagement projects on issues ranging broadly from human trafficking and domestic violence to environmental conservation and job equity. 

Elizabeth Kromer is a JACCE student worker who designs advertisements, contributes to the food insecurity program Swipe Out Hunger, and organizes information for the center. She is a kinesiology major with a concentration in exercise science at Rockford University, dedicated to making a difference in her community. 

Sandy Ruiz is a JACCE Fellow dedicated to organizing and presenting events that promote civic engagement and amplify the voices of the community, fostering a deeper connection between campus and local needs. She also is the College Advisor at CFNIL’s IWYT program, a consultant at the Writing Center, and is a monthly visit volunteer for a local Hospice center. She is studying Psychology and English, working to be a resource and aid for the Rockford community.