Experiential service learning in Greater Houston

Community Bridges

The Community Bridges program at Rice University’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research addresses urban inequality and poverty issues by pairing academic study with active fieldwork. Rice undergraduate students who are selected to be Community Bridges fellows simultaneously study the theories of urban sociology in the classroom and undertake internships with nonprofit organization partners to carry out research-driven projects. Students earn a total of five upper-level credits while participating in Community Bridges. The program includes fall and spring semester commitments as well as the opportunity for summer fellowships.

I am so thankful for the ways I have been able to get to know and learn from the Fifth Ward community through Community Bridges, from authoring a white paper on the need for affordable artist housing in developing communities to helping 220 households receive grants through the Harris County COVID Relief Program. ... I can confidently say that I would not be where I am today without the support of Community Bridges.

— Susanna Yau, 2019-2020 Community Bridges Fellow