Become a Community Connect Partner

Local nonprofit organizations and government agencies have the opportunity to employ Northwestern undergraduate students in community-based work opportunities through Northwestern’s Community Connect program.  

Community Connect jobs are subsidized through the Federal Work-Study program; they allow students the opportunity to work for organizations and agencies that contribute to the public good, while building professional experience and skills.

Northwestern students who are eligible for Federal Work-Study awards as part of their financial aid package can earn their wages through community-based jobs as part of Northwestern’s Community Connect program. All work-study students are officially employed by Northwestern University. The university pays students on a bi-weekly basis and bills Community Connect partners for their portion of wages periodically (in January, April, and July).  

Community Connect partners commit to: 

• Employ a Northwestern student(s) during the academic year (October – May, or any time duration therein)
• Provide training, supervision, and feedback for students for the duration of their employment 
• Pay 25% of the student’s hourly wage (the remainder of which is covered by Federal Work Study funds) 
• Ensure appropriate timecard entry and approve timecards by stated deadlines
• Schedule the student for no more than 20 hours per week

Becoming a Community Connect partner allows the opportunity to: 

• Connect with Northwestern student talent and increase your organization’s staff capacity 
• Participate in professional development opportunities offered by Northwestern’s Community Connect team 
• Network with other local nonprofit partners hosting Northwestern students 

Community Connect partner organizations must be U.S. federal, state or municipal public agencies or private nonprofit organization as certified by the IRS. The partners must do work that benefits the Evanston or Chicago communities, and services must be open and accessible to community residents and designed to improve quality of life. Examples of acceptable work areas include:

• Community and neighborhood development (e.g., housing and transportation access; neighborhood improvement; recreation services; workforce development) 
• Education (e.g., literacy training; tutoring; recreational activities)
• Health care (e.g., public health or mental health services)
• Social services 

Contact us with questions about whether your organization or work area would be eligible.

Application & Site Visit

• Complete this application form to apply to be a Community Connect partner in 25-26 (new partner organizations only).
• A Community Connect team member will follow up within one week. For organizations that meet eligibility criteria, our team will contact you to schedule a site visit.
• Participation as a Community Connect employer is contingent on a site visit and signed participation agreement prior to submitting a job posting.

Job Posting

• After the participation agreement is completed, a Community Connect team member will work with you to submit your job postings.
• Tips for drafting your job posting can be found here, and team members can advise on position descriptions and review drafts.
• Positions for the 25-26 academic year are posted for students to review on August 15, 2025.
• Organizations are encouraged to submit their job posting one week in advance of the desired posting date.
• If multiple students are interested in the position, you may choose among them using any selection process you wish, or contact our team for support.
• While we cannot guarantee we will be able to fill each position, we will make every effort to recruit a student who is interested in and eligible for the role.

• Contact the Community Connect team (communityconnect@northwestern.edu) with questions or assistance related to job postings and connecting with Northwestern students. 
• Questions about the Federal Work Study program can be sent to nuworkstudy@northwestern.edu.
• Complete the Center for Civic Engagement’s community partner interest form to be added to our community partner email list for updates on hiring deadlines and additional University partnership opportunities.