Student-Led Initiatives & Support
As a student-facing office, the Lindy Center for Civic Engagement strives to make civic engagement accessible to all students while also ensuring student work (whether through our office or otherwise) aligns with the University's and Lindy Center's values. To this end, we are happy to offer support and guidance to students doing civic engagement work even when it is not through our office; this includes but is not limited to students doing service projects with their student organizations, students doing required volunteer service for a course, and students doing projects aligned with civic and community engagement through fellow campus offices. We can support in the following ways:
Event Space
The center has two reservable spaces suitable for meetings, classes, workshops and training, or events. Both spaces are located on the first floor of the building with two restrooms available in the main room for use by attendees using either space. Also in the main space is a small kitchenette equipped with a sink, small refrigerator, microwave, water cooler, and coffee & tea supplies. There are large screens suitable to use for projecting images and/or presentations located in both the main room and conference room which can be used upon request.
The reserving party is responsible for all attendees, the integrity of the space, and the responsible management of any technology, supplies, or other Center resourced used during their event. This includes ensuring that the building is secure when entering and exiting the premises, and that all attendees swipe in upon entering the building. As a reminder, the Lindy Center is an institutionally owned building and door propping is strictly prohibited per Institutional Building Access Policies. Spaces should be tidied and returned to their original state after use. If you encounter any facilities issues during your event, they should be reported immediately to a Lindy Center staff person. If there is not a staff person onsite at the time of your event, please email LindyCenter@drexel.edu.
Please be aware that these spaces may be reserved both simultaneously and/or consecutively - be respectful of others using the space. Spaces can be requested via the DragonLink event form.
Reservable Spaces:
- Main Room (max capacity 65 people) This is a flexible space generally set up for multiple small group use. Chairs and small tables located in this space may be moved to suit your event needs All furniture must be returned to its original location at the close of your event. If you need additional tables chairs, please reach out to the Lindy Center once your event has been approved to inquire about availability.
- Conference Room (max capacity 25 people) This space contains a modular conference table that seats comfortably seat 12 but can be separated into 6 tables for small groups if needed.
Lending Library
The Lindy Center has a growing collection of books available for loan to Drexel students, staff, faculty, and community members located in our main room. Partners may borrow a maximum of two books at a time for a duration of no more than 30 days. Requests to extend the borrowing period for another month can be made in person to a staff member, or via email to LindyCenter@drexel.edu. Books can be checked out by signing the check-out sheet located on a clipboard next to the lending library. Members should return the borrowed book to the lending library on or before the due date and check-in the books on the check-out sheet. Members are responsible for the safekeeping of borrowed books. If a book is lost or extensively damaged, the member will be asked to provide a replacement copy of the same title. If a Lindy community member fails to return a borrowed book by the due date, a friendly reminder will be sent. If the book is not returned after an additional grace period, the member may be restricted from borrowing until the book is returned or replaced.
Lindy partners and community members are encouraged to suggest books for the lending library! Should you have a book suggestion or request, please email LindyCenter@drexel.edu with the title and author of the book you are requesting.
Programmatic Support
As stated in our mission and vision, we believe civic engagement is most effective when it combines elements of learning, engagement, and reflection. We are happy to work with students on incorporating all of these elements into their civic engagement projects. For instance, if a student organization is planning a group service activity, we may suggest and help with designing a pre-service workshop to put the activity into context and a post-service reflection to make meaning from the experience and help group members think about next steps. This kind of support depends on our capacity and your group's needs. There may also be opportunities to highlight your work by collaborating with us on existing events such as Issue to Action, a series where we highlight stories of individual students who turned their passions into meaningful activism.
If you're interested in anything described above and/or you have other ideas of how Lindy Center could help, please reach out to us at LindyCenter@drexel.edu with more information about what you're working on!
SEPTA Passes
The Lindy Center supports civic engagement activities within West Philadelphia and throughout the Philadelphia region. Upon request, and based on the guidelines below, Lindy can provide campus partners with a limited number of SEPTA Passes. These passes are nonreloadable key cards that provide two single trips with free transfers. As we have a limited number of passes, we prioritize them for activities associated with Lindy Center programs, including Community-Based Learning courses, Drexel Community Collaborators, and the Civic Engagement Leadership Certificate program. As our budget allows, we may also be able to make passes available to students involved in other activities, such as group volunteer events for student organizations, on a case-by-case basis.
Please be aware that any unused SEPTA Passes provided to Drexel campus partners cannot be returned to the Lindy Center, so be sure to confirm the number of passes you will need before requesting them. Abuse or misuse of this resource will result in suspension of access to future passes for your organization or class for no less than 1 year following the incident. Additional guidelines for the request and use of Passes are listed below. If you have any questions about your program’s eligibility, please contact LindyCenter@drexel.edu.
Guidelines for Requesting Partner Passes
- Determine your need: Before requesting Partner Passes, please determine your transportation needs. Consider the location of the opportunity, the number of participants, and the frequency of your visits. Each Pass provides fare for 2 trips, including free transfers, so for most opportunities, only one pass is required per person. Student organizations or faculty members may receive a maximum of 30 SEPTA passes per event or class with a maximum of 100 passes per fiscal year as supplies last.
- Gather the required information: Collect all the necessary information required to request transit passes. This includes your name and Drexel email, the name and email of the person picking up the passes, your organization name or course title, and a brief description of your program including date, location, and number of participants.
- Submit your request: Submit your request for SEPTA Passes via our Microsoft Form at least 2 weeks prior to the date of your program.
- Await confirmation: After submitting your request, a Lindy Center staff member will reach out to confirm your request or to ask for more details. Please allow up to 3 business days to receive your response.
- Pick up your transit passes: Once your request is approved, you can pick up your Partner Passes from the Lindy Center (3210 Cherry St) one business day in advance of your program.
- Use your Passes responsibly: Use your Passes only for transportation to and from your approved activity. Do not share your passes with non-participants or use them for personal travel.
- Optional follow up: Let the Lindy Center know how your event went. We’d love to hear about your experience, see any pictures that have been taken, and if appropriate share with the Lindy community via our biweekly newsletter or social media. Please send any highlights you’d like to share with us to LindyCenter@drexel.edu.
Student Organization Partnership Program
The recently established Student Organization Partnership Program is a great opportunity for groups or organizations interested in building a more intentional relationship with the Lindy Center. Any recognized student group or organization whose mission and goals are directly related to civic engagement is eligible to participate. Current student organization partners include: Drexel Urban Growers, Engineers Without Borders, and Sharing Excess. If you or your organization is interested in becoming an official Lindy Center partner, please visit our Student Organization Partnership Program page for more information.
For student organizations, there are also opportunities to present hands-on workshops to local middle school students through the Lindy Scholars program. This program allows Drexel student organizations to present weekly workshops at local middle schools and provides funding and workshop development support. Learn more on their page.