Academic Programs
The Fitz Center for Leadership in Community initiates and sustains partnerships with urban neighborhoods and larger communities as a context for connected learning and scholarship. The University of Dayton is a national leader in educating community builders and the programs of the Fitz Center fulfill the University's Catholic and Marianist initiatives. Teams of students, faculty, and Fitz Center staff are contributing to a network of community building partnerships throughout the region that enriches neighborhoods and communities and provides opportunities for connected learning.
Bonner Leader Program
This national program gets students involved in their campus, their local community, and the world through service and leadership.
CityLinks Neighborhood Conference
The CityLinks Neighborhood Conference features workshops that bring Dayton and Montgomery County citizens together to learn from national speakers and from one another ways to revitalize neighborhoods and nurture leadership at its roots. Learn more>>
Community-Based Service Learning
The Fitz Center's close ties with neighborhoods, schools and service providers lead to many opportunities for University of Dayton students and faculty to become active participants in service that broadens education. Learn more >>
Dayton Civic Scholars
The Dayton Civic Scholars program is designed for students interested in urban affairs and social justice and students pursuing careers in public service. Learn more>>
Ferree Professor of Social Justice
The Ferree Professor connects Catholic social teaching and the social sciences through the community-building mission of the Fitz Center for Leadership in Community. Learn more>>
Leadership in Building Communities Seminar
This innovative seminar guides both undergraduate and MPA graduate students through the processes of building community. Learn more>>
Rivers Institute
The vision of the Rivers Institute is "reuniting Dayton and its rivers" and its mission is to build opportunities for the Dayton community to see its rivers as the strategic natural resource central to the communal, economic, aesthetic and ecological vitality of the region. Learn more>>
Semester of Service
This program allows students to take a semester off from full-time study to experience 450 hours of direct service in the Dayton community. Students grow through experiential learning, the creation of intentional community, and professional training and supervision from local social service providers. Learn more>>