Our Community Initiatives
Rutgers and its home communities of New Brunswick and Piscataway share a long history, and our successes and challenges are intertwined. As New Jersey’s state university, Rutgers serves the state and its residents through our core mission: to advance knowledge through teaching, research, and service. Our partnerships with community residents, local organizations, and major institutions put Rutgers’ knowledge-based resources to work throughout the greater New Brunswick area.
Rutgers taps the energy and talents of our students, faculty, and staff to focus on community needs.
Our impact is broad:
- assisting children and families;
- helping business owners and job seekers;
- supporting K–12 learners and classroom teachers; and
- informing critical policy decisions and providing research-based data and analysis.
In fact, an internal survey identified more than 75 programs and services that connect Rutgers with New Brunswick and its neighbor communities. Yet, there is much more we can do. We are constantly evaluating current collaborations and discussing ways to increase and improve our contributions to civic, social, and cultural life. After all, we too live and work here, and are equally committed to a strong and vibrant community.
Ways We Engage
Rutgers draws on its many strengths, in both people and programs, to enhance the quality of life in New Brunswick and its environs. Here’s a sampling.
- Business Outreach: Local businesses—from corner stores to large corporations—depend on Rutgers for technical assistance and innovative solutions.
- Education Outreach: Rutgers supports learning for life, from preschool programs to college-prep support to courses for senior citizens.
- Employment Services: Rutgers connects people with opportunity through career fairs, continuing and professional education, workforce forecasting, and more.
- Student Volunteerism: Students give generously—of their time and their talents—to serve community members in need.
- Faculty Expertise: With experts in every discipline, Rutgers’ faculty provides the knowledge to turn problems into solutions.
- Cultural Programs: Rutgers presents an abundance of arts: museum exhibits, theater performances, musical acts, public lectures, cultural festivals, and more.
- Health and Safety: From nutrition counseling to child safety seat inspections, Rutgers works to protect community well-being.
- Environmental Awareness: Rutgers’ green initiatives—like the state’s largest solar farm and one of the nation’s biggest campus recycling programs—benefit the local environment.
Learn more about the community outreach programs that bring Rutgers to the public and the public to Rutgers.
