Center for Social Justice Research, Teaching & Service
Center for Social Justice Research, Teaching & Service

Center-Wide Events

In collaboration with many campus and community partners, the Center for Social Justice hosts several Center-wide events during the academic year. Check CSJ’s Announcements to find out about upcoming center-wide events. Contact CSJ’s Executive Director, Dr. Andria Wisler, with any inquiries about these center-wide events.

Hoyas for Others Networking Night 

Hoyas for Others Networking Night (formerly Careers for the Common Good) is an annual networking event that brings together current undergraduates with over 75 alumni and DC area professionals who work in industries and fields that support the common good. These alumni and professionals share their career path experiences, advice, suggestions and lessons-learned to help students take their own steps toward a career for the common good.

CSJ Celebration

CSJ hosts its annual Celebration on the last Sunday evening of the Spring semester. This event spotlights the past year’s work by students, community members, faculty, staff and campus partners, while also looking forward to the continued commitment to service and engagement in our communities. 

CSJ Open House

As part of New Student Orientation, CSJ sponsors an Open House at which new and returning Hoyas can drop by to learn about the dozens of opportunities through which they can engage with community via service, activism, advocacy and research. The Open House is the afternoon on the Tuesday before the start of Fall semester classes. CSJ also participates in the annual Student Activities Fair and GAAP weekends. 

Education for Liberation Week

In collaboration with diverse campus and community partners, CSJ biannually coordinates Education for Liberation Week in October to raise awareness about both the challenges and celebrations within the current field of education. Education Week has included reflection dinners with community partners and alumni, a panel with journalists on the politics of education, a conversation about the use of technology in the classroom, and celebrations on campus with CSJ program’s youth participants and their tutors and mentors.

Global Social Justice Research Symposium

In collaboration with the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, the Georgetown Office of Fellowships, and Awards & Resources (GOFAR), and the Georgetown University Research Opportunities Program (GUROP), CSJ hosts an annual symposium to feature social justice-based research from undergraduate fellows and recent alumni. Research is presented by the Education & Social Justice Research Fellows, the David F. Andretta Summer Research Fellow, and representatives from the Raines Fellowship, Fulbright Fellowship, and Kalorama Fellowship. The Symposium is typically the last Friday in September.

Hunger and Homelessness Week

CSJ’s HOME Program and its student organization, H.O.P.E., partner annually in November to host Hunger and Homelessness Week. The week typically includes an event amplifying the voices of those experiencing homelessness. 

Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice (IFTJ)

Every year, CSJ and Campus Ministry collaborate to send a delegation to the Ignatian Family Teach-in for Justice, hosted by the Ignatian Solidarity Network. The Teach-In is the largest gathering of #JesuitEducated partners on social justice. Participants learn about efforts for solidarity across the globe, reflect, and advocate in a community that sees faith and justice integrally linked. CSJ actively recruits students from all faith backgrounds to represent Georgetown’s diversity in our virtual Hoya delegation. Questions about the commitment and experience can be directed to CSJ’s Assistant Director Mission Integration, Melissa Bernard, at dcmission@georgetown.edu.

Options Series

The Options Series is a multi-event series through the academic year which offers students the space through which to explore and discern postgraduate service opportunities. The events in the series provide undergraduates with opportunities to meet with recruiters from diverse service organizations, and to speak and reflect with alumni who are currently serving or have completed terms of service.

Race and Higher Education Annual Event

Together with campus partners, CSJ hosts an event the Tuesday after President’s Weekend in February on Race and Higher Education as part of the University’s Let Freedom Ring! Initiative celebrating the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Past speakers have included colleagues from the University of San Francisco Office of Diversity Outreach and Community Engagement; Dr. Benjamin Reese, former Vice President of the Office of Institutional Equity and Duke University and Duke University Health system, and Lauren Reese (C’12); McCourt School of Public Policy LaFarge SJ Professor Harry Holzer and co-author Sandy Baum on their book, Making College Work: Pathways to Success for Disadvantaged Students; a panel conversation of Georgetown’s team of campus senior leaders for diversity, equity, and inclusion; and University of San Francisco Law Professor Rhonda Magee who spoke on her book, The Inner Work of Racial Justice.

Social Justice Send-Off

The Social Justice Send-Off is an annual commencement event that celebrates graduating seniors who have engaged in social justice and public service work during their time at Georgetown and recognizes students who plan to pursue social justice and public service after graduation. The event is collaboratively planned with several campus units and is held at 10am on the Friday morning of Commencement Weekend in the ICC Auditorium, followed by a reception at the Center for Social Justice in 130 Poulton Hall.

Social Justice Week

Social Justice Week is an annual week of events in February highlighting the broad and diverse social justice work conducted by departments and organizations across Georgetown’s campus. 

Teach the Speech Teach-In

Each year, a speech by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is chosen for faculty and staff to incorporate into their educational spaces during the academic year through this University-wide co-curricular initiative. Over the past seven years, these texts have been: “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” (2013), about the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom (2014), “The Other America” (2015), Dr King’s Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech (2016), “Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break the Silence” (2017), “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” (2018), “Remaining Awake through a Great Revolution” (2019), and “Where do we go from here?” (2020). CSJ and CNDLS hosts a Teach the Speech Teach-In the Tuesday before the start of the Spring semester classes with a highlighted keynote speaker. These distinguished guests have included Dr. Ibram X. Kendi (2017), Clarence E. Hardy III, Ph.D. (2018), Reverend Brad Braxton, Ph.D. (2019), and Catherine Coleman Flowers (2020).

Workshops

Throughout the academic year, CSJ offers workshops to support our students’ continued development as tutors, mentors, advocates, and community-based researchers, as well as to deepen their understanding of social in/justice. All Georgetown community members are welcome to attend the workshops.