NU in Chicago

NU in Chicago connects students with experiential learning opportunities and civic resources throughout the city of Chicago. NU in Chicago’s core program model consists of thematic, half-day trips into the city. Led by expert faculty, alumni, and community partners, these excursions help introduce students to key sites and lesser known assets across the city. Students might explore a specific neighborhood, visit a museum or cultural institution, or explore multiple sites along a single theme. While the programs are one-time excursions, they are designed to provide on-ramps to further engagement.

Winter 2026
Chicago History Museum
Behind-the-scenes tour & discussion of “Aquí en Chicago”
Friday, February 27 from 9am–1:30pm

This trip to the Chicago History Museum will pull back the curtain on their newest exhibit, Aquí en Chicago. Responding to student-led protests of the lack of Latine representation in the museum, Aquí en Chicago is a model of community-engaged curation, built with the active contribution of scores of community members and organizations. After an introduction by Prof. Myrna Garcia, students will get a behind-the-scenes tour of the exhibition from Dr. Elena Gonzales, CHM Curator of Civic Engagement and Social Justice. A luncheon panel will continue the conversation with members of the exhibit’s community advisory committee.

Transportation and lunch included. Open to all students, staff, and faculty.
RSVPs required.

NU in Chicago was initially designed to serve as part of the orientation experience for incoming students. Early in the fall, NU in Chicago would offer a Neighborhood Exploration Day, with a set of themed excursions facilitated by faculty, designed for incoming undergraduate students but open to all. Themes included Chicago as a Global City, History of Black Chicago, Neighborhood Arts, Urban Planning, and more.

As a result of student interest, the program then expanded to offer year-round opportunities open to all students, typically at least one per quarter. NU in Chicago has offered special access to citywide events like the Chicago Humanities Festival or Chicago Ideas Week, visits to historic sites like the Jane Addams Hull House or the South Side Community Arts Center, and special activities like neighborhood tours led by civically engaged young alumni, or a visit to the Chicago’s West Side to retrace Martin Luther King Jr.’s time living in North Lawndale.

To get a sense of the NU in Chicago program, check out the video below, produced by Northwestern News and the Big Ten Network, about one of our earliest programs, run while the Center was hosting Northwestern’s One Book One Northwestern program featuring a book on Chicago by journalist and author Alex Kotlowitz.