Public Service, Public Good
Public Service,
Public Good
Each day, Harvard students, faculty, staff, and alumni worldwide commit their skills, knowledge, and energy to advancing the public good and making a lasting impact on society.
Serving our community
Events and programming offered by the Harvard Ed Portal—including lectures, arts and culture events, public school partnerships, youth programming, and more—support our neighbors and the greater community. Throughout the year, Harvard students, faculty, staff, and alumni participate in days of service, partner with local non-profits, and organize seasonal drives.
Serving our country
Dating back to the colonial period, Harvard has shared a deeply interwoven history with the U.S. military. Today, the number of ROTC students is on the rise, and programs like Harvard Kennedy School’s American Service Fellowship, which provides fully funded fellowships for public servants, are making Harvard a place where those who serve can thrive.
Caring for others
If you don’t get involved, you can’t transform society.”Alberto Inzulza Galdames
A dentist in rural Chile, Alberto Inzulza Galdames came to Harvard Chan School to learn how to improve access to health care for people like those in his community.
Supporting oral health
Harvard School of Dental Medicine’s “Give Veterans a Smile” and “Give Kids a Smile” programs offer free dental care for local veterans and children. The school’s dental residency program trains dentists to care for patients in rural regions of New Hampshire and dental students can also volunteer to help with oral health screenings for recent immigrants.
Improving access
The Family Van works to improve healthcare access to underserved Boston communities. The program provides wellness programs, medical care, screenings, counseling, dental care, and health education to those who need it.
Responding to overdoses
For her practicum at Harvard Chan School, Heather Soucy worked with a nationwide nonprofit that seeks to make Narcan, which can reverse opioid overdoses, easily accessible to patients in hospital settings.
Addressing homelessness
Harvard Medical School’s Jim O’Connell founded Boston Health Care for the Homeless, dedicating his life to helping the city’s most vulnerable citizens.
Offering spiritual care
As part of the Harvard Divinity School’s Field Education Program, Craig Rusert served as a multifaith chaplain intern at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, starting a weekly interfaith music service.
Inspiring the next generation
I always felt it was important to give back. We have to lift as we climb.”Kazembe Abif
Following a successful professional basketball career in Europe and Canada, Harvard Graduate School of Education student Kazembe Abif turned to something else he was passionate about: working with youth.
- Harvard College
Project Swim
Nicola Hensch revived Project Swim, a program where children with special needs are able to use Harvard’s pool facilities.
Project Swim- Harvard Medical School
Irene Wong is devoted to training and supporting young scientists
- Harvard School of Education
Kavya Krishna is empowering girls in low and middle-income countries through digital literacy
- Harvard School of Engineering
Dashiell Young-Saver is making statistics more accessible for high school students
- Harvard Extension School
Andrew Almazan is working to improve education access for special needs students
- Harvard School of Education
A Harvard program is partnering with the state of Tennessee to make the college admissions process easier
Early exposure to the arts
Using A.R.T. productions, the Lavine Learning Lab creates student workshops that bring together the arts, humanities, and social and emotional learning for public high school students in the greater Boston area.
Doing their civic duty
The Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative works to equip mayors and senior city officials to tackle complex challenges in their cities and improve the quality of life of their residents.
I’m going to be able to use the vehicle of the law to help people.”David Marchese
From disadvantaged communities to military veterans, David explored how law can support people in need.
Making an impact
From Harvard Law School’s Pro Bono Program, to Harvard Kennedy School’s Applied Field Lab, to Harvard Graduate School of Design’s Community Outreach, the Harvard community is deeply connected with other communities across the country.
Harvard Kennedy School student Alissa Ji worked on policy efforts to expand and preserve affordable housing across the islands, which are facing one of the nation’s most severe housing crises.
As a College senior, Sophia Scott traveled to the Suffolk County Jail in Boston each week to teach a high school equivalency class to inmates hoping to get their diplomas.
Graduate School of Design’s Eric Henson invited representatives from the Sac and Fox Nation to campus to help them regain sovereignty over their ancestral lands in Illinois.
Harvard College undergraduate Bradford Kimball successfully campaigned for a special one-year election seat in his precinct.
Making a difference across the globe
Each summer Harvard Law School students choose to work abroad with non-profits and governmental agencies, addressing topics including international sustainability standards, gender-based violence, and legal protections for whistleblowers.
In our first trial, we found grades improved significantly. We're pretty excited about that.”Katherine Venturo-Conerly
For her Ph.D. research project, Kathrine focused on creating and implementing mental health interventions for children and adolescents in multiple countries.
Supporting African farmers
Through the One Acre Fund, Caroline Fong is helping to empower more than 5 million farmers across sub-Saharan Africa with farm supplies, financing, training, and market access.
Building religious tolerance in Pakistan
Hafsa Amir Nawab spent her summer in Karachi, Pakistan, developing an interactive storybook to foster religious tolerance among children.
Ensuring equitable global food access
As a supply chain officer with the UN World Food Programme, Salvador Peña is working to ensure those who need food can get it, anywhere on the globe.
Dedicated to making a difference
These and many more programs across Harvard connect our community to public service opportunities around the globe.
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