Civic Engagement

At Widener, you will connect with civic engagement experiences in Chester, Greater Philadelphia, and around the world.

About Widener
Points of Pride
Civic Engagement

Service with a Purpose

Become a change agent of tomorrow. From one-time participation, to long-term, sustained engagement within our scholarship programs, you can explore co-curricular activities that will develop your skills in critical thinking, collaboration, and socially-responsible leadership.

At Widener, we view civic engagement not from a charity model orientation, but with a focus on social justice. We continually build collaborative campus and community partnerships that further the university’s civic mission, while educating and empowering our students.

Serving With Pride

Scholarship Opportunities

Bonner Leaders

The Bonner Leaders program was developed by Widener in partnership with the Corella and Bertram F. Bonner Foundation to develop the change agents of our time. Our leaders not only graduate with a degree, but also benefit from transferrable workforce skills including four years of work experience in the nonprofit sector, intensive leadership training, and a drive to make an impact in our local to global communities.

The Bonner Leaders commit to serving internship-level community service (150 hours per academic year, roughly 5-7 hours weekly). They also participate in customized, experiential learning opportunities designed to make them stand out as civic leaders, social justice agents and active global citizens. Pending successful completion of the program requirements, Bonner Leaders receive an annual $5,000 award in addition to any need-based financial aid or academic-based scholarships.

The Bonner program provided Michael Dixon '17 with the vehicle to serve his community and build skills he would carry into life and career.

The Maguire Foundation Endowed Scholarships

The Maguire Scholars Fund provides scholarship awards to as many as three incoming Widener freshmen each year and is renewable each year for a total of four years providing students continue to meet qualifications.

Eligibility to be considered for a Maguire Scholarship includes:

Coming from a select list of Philadelphia-area high schools
Applying as freshmen and being admitted to the university
Remaining in good academic standing, and actively participating in school and community volunteer extracurricular activities
Demonstrating financial need as determined by the university

For information on the Maguire Foundation and the listing of participating high schools students must have attended to apply for the award, please visit the Maguire Foundation website.

Learn more about the Maguire Foundation Scholarship

Pride Service Site Leadership Program

The Pride Service Site Leadership Program will empower you to develop a service-oriented mindset. This scholarship aims to develop change agents of our time. Students will not only graduate with a degree, but also benefit from transferrable workforce skills including four years of work experience in the nonprofit sector, intensive leadership training, and a drive to make an impact in our local to global communities.

PSSL’s also work to increase and sustain the quality of life for residents in the Chester community. Students learn the skills needed to be a citizen of character who demonstrates civic leadership.

Pride Service Site Leaders complete 150 hours during the academic year. In return, they receive a $1,500 scholarship to be applied toward their tuition. Interested students should inquire with the Center for Civic and Global Engagement in the fall of their first-year to apply.

Recent News

Using Their Voice: Widener Students Known for Political Engagement and Voter Turnout

Widener students have a history of being politically engaged citizens and having exceptional voter turnout.

Student drops a bone marrow registry envelope into a blue bucket

A Win-Win: Widener Football Holds Campus Bone Marrow Registry Drive

Since 2019, the team has been holding this potentially lifesaving drive, which has signed up hundreds for the registry and led to one match.

March on Washington Memorial with "I have a dream" inscribed in the cement and the Washington Monument in the background as the sun sets

MLK 2022: His Legacy Echoes throughout Widener

Guided by the ethos “We’re All Widener,” the university explores the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. on this national holiday and echoes his commitment to a more just world through our actions and programs.

View All Global & Civic Engagement News

Make an Impact

Academic service learning is one of the foundations of a Widener education, allowing you to connect your passion for service with your coursework. By uniting service experiences with classroom activities, you will develop your sense of civic responsibility while achieving your academic goals.

Widener faculty give you the support to apply academic content with meaningful, measurable projects in real community settings. Through our service learning courses, you will have innovative opportunities to serve individuals, public schools, public service agencies, and nonprofit organizations within our network of community partners.

A variety of service learning courses are offered every semester, including Coffee Culture and the Environment in Costa Rica, Contemporary Issues in Political Engagement, and Social Work Practice with Communities.

Widener’s community outreach programs will help you gain hands-on experience, hone your leadership skills, grow your professional network, and broaden your worldview. Whether you’re teaching kids in Chester, participating in innovative outreach programs in Philadelphia, or installing solar panels in Panama villages, service can stretch your mind and heart. At Widener, you can make a positive impact in the lives of people around the world.

Our students, faculty, and staff serve as teachers, tutors, and trainers in many programs that give academic support and educational opportunities to families and children. At Widener, you can serve in a variety of schools, school districts, and after-school programs including:

Widener Partnership Charter School
Widener Reads and Widener Counts
Boys and Girls Club of Chester
Chester Eastside
Chester Education Foundation
Chester High School
First Robotics (STEM Academy)
Northern Star Sports
Soccer for Success/Chester Upland Youth Soccer
Stetser Elementary School

When it comes to economic vitality and growth, we’re in this together. Widener supports economic development projects that attract jobs, encourage small business creation, spur investment, and generate pride in the communities we serve. Widener works to strengthen the local economy by developing partnerships and implementing community renewal projects.

At Widener’s Small Business Development Center, one of 18 such centers in Pennsylvania and an accredited affiliate of the national Association of Small Business Development Centers, student interns and faculty experts offer free management consulting, education programs, and other services to small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs in the community.
Widener offers City of Chester employees, their spouses, and dependents discounted tuition for programming offered through the Center for Extended Learning, as well as for the masters of education program. Learn more about our educational partnerships with employers.
Widener University helped bring 150 new jobs and the first casual dining restaurant chain to Chester with the opening of Uno Chicago Grill.
Widener helped to spearhead University Crossings, a $50 million development project in Chester with a projected annual economic impact of $1 million dollars and more than $80,000 in earned income tax revenues from the jobs created.

Pride Perspectives

Widener helps students build the character, courage, and habits of mind to be engaged global citizens and strategic leaders capable of effecting positive change.

Taylor pictured with the Pride lions statue on campus

“Political science and sociology connect in a lot of different ways. Seeing those connections and then also connecting that to my daily life has been super important.”

Taylor Easter

Taylor's Story

Widener has helped me take my academics and what I’ve learned in classes and apply it not just in the Chester community, but to the whole world in general.

Hannah Berard

Hannah's Story

Widener gives me access to so many great opportunities I wouldn't have had elsewhere. These experiences and opportunities give me a great competitive advantage heading into the workforce.

Evan Davis

Evan's Story

Every study abroad trip, every internship opportunity, every volunteer event, every class is contributing to me not only being a better person, but better in business. The world of business today requires us to be globally active.