Community Engagement
At Loyola University Maryland, community engagement is central to our Jesuit mission, inspiring us to learn, serve, and grow alongside our Baltimore neighbors. Through community-engaged learning, strategic partnerships, academic scholarship, and business development initiatives, we collaborate with local organizations, schools, and businesses to address challenges and create lasting, positive change. Our faculty and students work together to apply knowledge in real-world settings, leveraging research and innovation to support economic growth, strengthen civic engagement, and promote social justice. By integrating education with action, we foster meaningful relationships that uplift communities and empower individuals to be leaders in service to others.
Our Commitment
Community engagement at Loyola University Maryland is deeply rooted in its Jesuit,
Catholic mission to inspire students to learn, lead, and serve in a diverse and ever-changing
world. We are committed to walking alongside young people as they build a hope-filled
future, pursue environmental sustainability, and work toward reconciliation, equity,
and justice. Through reciprocal, mutually beneficial partnerships, we strive to uplift
and collaborate with our Baltimore neighbors.
As an institution, we emphasize mission-driven experiential learning and aim to graduate
students who are informed, ethical leaders who work for and with others. We encourage
students, faculty, and staff to actively serve on campus, in Baltimore, and beyond,
engaging with communities through thoughtful preparation, critical reflection, and
meaningful collaboration.
Loyola’s approach to community engagement extends from local to global partnerships,
grounded in respect, solidarity, and the dignity of all people. We recognize our partners
as co-creators and co-disseminators of knowledge, working together to advance social,
economic, and environmental justice. Through transformative learning, ethical research,
and interdisciplinary collaboration, we foster Ignatian citizenship that promotes
the well-being of our shared communities.
Our Work
We recognize our partners as co-creators of knowledge, working together to advance social, economic, and environmental justice. Through transformative learning, ethical research, and interdisciplinary collaboration, we foster engaged citizenship and promote the well-being of our shared communities. We do this through five key centers on our campus:
Learning, Service, and Community Impact
The Center for Community, Service, and Justice (CCSJ) partners with community groups, nonprofits, and schools in Baltimore and beyond to provide Loyola students with opportunities for learning, service, and scholarship.
Learn more about CCSJ
Research, Dialogue, and Social Justice
The Karson Institute is a space for scholars, students, and activists to research, discuss, and address urgent issues of inequality and injustice. We foster a data-driven, intersectional approach to social change.
Learn more about the Karson Institute
Youth Development, Civic, and Economic Growth
The York Road Initiative strengthens local education, health, and economic development by collaborating with residents and businesses. We work together to build civic engagement, support youth, and revitalize the commercial corridor.
Learn more about the York Road Initiative
Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Leadership
The Nick and Susie Simon Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship empowers students to become changemakers through education, hands-on experiences, and creative problem-solving—all rooted in Loyola’s Jesuit mission. We're also a founding member of Innovation Works focused on social innovation in the city of Baltimore.
Learn more about the Simon Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship
Healthcare, Training, and Inclusive Access
The Loyola Clinical Centers provide high-quality, evidence-based care in psychology, speech-language pathology, audiology, and literacy—offering accessible services to individuals and families while training the next generation of professionals.
Learn more about the Loyola Clinical Centers
Leadership and Social Justice in Education
Working to advance justice in education, the Center for Equity, Leadership, and Social Justice in Education in Loyola’s School of Education provides a collaborative space to the community for engaged research, and exposure and promotion of impactful work in the area of equity, leadership, and social justice education.
Learn more about the Center for Equity, Leadership, and Social Justice
Leadership
The CCSJ is the lead coordinator for our community engagement efforts. They work through
our Community Engagement Steering Committee to facilitate clear communication and
integrated work.
The Committee’s Work
The Community Engagement Steering Committee is a collaborative committee that brings
together key representatives from across campus and the community to strengthen Loyola’s
community engagement efforts. By establishing clear and consistent messaging, fostering
cross-campus collaboration, and sharing projects, programs, and resources, the group
ensures alignment in Loyola’s efforts to serve Baltimore and beyond. Comprised of
university and community specialists, the committee also works to identify evolving
needs, helping to shape CCSJ’s future to better support both the Loyola community
and the broader public.
- Chair, Gia Grier McGinnis, Executive Director, CCSJ/YRI
- Co-chair: Mary Sue Callan-Farley, CCSJ Director
- Co-chair: Stephen Parks, Fac Dir, CELS
- Administration
- Kate Grubb Clark, External Relations
- Joe Griffin, Sustainability Office
- Rodney Parker, OEI
- Academic Coordinators
- Stephen Park, Loyola College
- Astrid Schmidt-King, Sellinger
- Jessica Enos, School of Education
- Centers
- Kaye Whitehead, Karson Institute
- Jon Weinstein, Simon Center
- Kara Vincent, Loyola Clinical Centers
- Partners
- Liaison to York Road Partnership
- Adam Jackson (YRI)
- Rotating seat from a Catholic org. in Baltimore: A. Jay Nwachu, Innovation Works