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.
Jane Addams
Learn more about our namesake, who inspired us to be more engaged with our community.
The Jane Effect
The Jane Effect is a student blog sponsored by JACCE. The blog publishes written, video, podcast, or pictorial work that addresses an issue currently important to our campus community and makes a case for ways our community can take action. Issues might be more general societal issues, but posts should clearly be presented within the context of our campus and local community. Submissions should be sent to jacce@rockford.edu. All submissions undergo a review process before publication.
