Among many posters lining the walls of Northwestern’s dorms and dining spaces, a brightly colored Grounding for Public Service flyer stands out at first glance. What many students do not see is the community that lies beyond the poster, meeting Tuesdays in Parkes Hall. 

At weekly meetings, students in GPS gather over dinner, sourced from a family-run Chicago-area catering organization, Urban Tables. After 30 minutes of eating and conversation, a local guest speaker joins the participants each week to discuss their experience as a community leader and potential opportunities for students to make a positive impact in Evanston and beyond.

“Regardless of students’ majors, schools and backgrounds, (GPS) is a safe space to be whoever you want, ask any questions, be comfortable and meet new people,” said SESP sophomore Aizam Abd Rahman, a member of GPS’ student leadership team.

The program’s student leadership team helps with planning, setting up for meetings, recruiting new participants, cleaning up and interviewing guests. Instead of a traditional executive board with outlined roles, the team shares all of its responsibilities equally. 

GPS is one of several Community Engagement Programs supported by NU’s Leadership Development and Community Engagement department.

Now entering its fifth academic year, the program was founded by NU Associate Director of Leadership Development and Community Engagement Val Buchanan in 2021. 

“I saw the need for a learning and connecting space to be created that wasn’t driven by a particular volunteer effort, to give people a launching pad to meet new friends and to learn about new things in a permeable space,” Buchanan said. “It’s not meant to feel anything like a classroom experience.”

Far from that of a traditional classroom experience, the program’s meeting space features a long dining table and a living room-like setup with comfortable couches and chairs, creating a space where students can learn from and connect with community guests.

Topics covered at GPS meetings range from local issues like education equity in Evanston to broader-reaching challenges such as restorative justice for youth and combating bias in conversation. 

“A big thing we’ve talked about is challenging the image of Evanston that a lot of Northwestern students have, thinking of it as kind of a homogeneous, well-off, white college town,” said Communication senior Ryan Lien. “A lot of our discussions are about prodding deeper into all communities that make up Evanston.”

SESP senior Marina Shirky, who has been involved in the program for four years, said they were particularly impacted by a visit from a representative of Chicago 400, an organization that advocates for people who were formerly incarcerated and now experiencing homelessness.

Already passionate about prison reform initiatives, Shirky said they were excited to engage in relevant discourse with a professional in a field of their interest. They added that, like them, the program’s participants are often especially excited to engage with issues related to their lives.

“There was one week last year where a tenants’ rights organization came and people were super engaged because that’s a problem that a lot of Northwestern students face,” they said.

Amid budget cuts to University programming, Buchanan said GPS is left without much funding to carry on. She said she prioritizes the budget on food, which she called “an important part of setting a tone.”

Several members emphasized the importance of recruiting new members despite these budgetary limitations. Eventually, they hope to outgrow the program’s current home in Parkes Hall.

“That’s a problem I would love to have,” Buchanan said.

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