Community partnerships are a critical component of College of DuPage's community engagement. Our community relationships help us prioritize strategies for the future.
The Community Engagement Department believes in the transformative nature of education and strive to positively impact the communities and organizations in District 502.
Welcome to Community Engagement
What COD Offers the Community
In addition to providing a foundation of academic excellence for students and serving as a homebase for arts and culture in DuPage County, community and business members can take advantage of student-run services and a variety of business and career-related resources.
Lifelines Docuseries
Receive support for domestic violence, homelessness/food insecurity and mental health.
Learn More
Service to the Community
Learn how the College gives back through both small- and large-scale initiatives.
Learn MoreCommunity Engagement Highlights
COD campus and community members experienced the challenges faced by refugees forced to flee their homelands during an interactive simulation hosted in partnership with Glen Ellyn Community Relations Commission.
Sharing current needs of DuPage County's Hispanic/Latinx population and expanding educational partnerships was the goal of a recent meeting between COD and CREO, a local non-profit organization that offers college-centered services to high school students and their families.
COD employees and students made winter warmer by filling tables with healthy food, collecting gently used cold weather essentials and sharing the gift of life as a blood donor.
Recruits in the Suburban Law Enforcement Academy at COD provided lessons in safety and shared their love of reading with preschoolers on a recent visit to the College.
In partnership with Northern Illinois Food Bank, COD distributes fresh, frozen and shelf-stable groceries to more than 125 area families each month.
COD Experts: South Asia
Dr. Maria Ritzema, Associate Professor of History at COD, is an expert in South Asian
history, with a research focus on Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Ritzema
can provide historical context on current events in South Asia, including the long-standing
conflict between India and Pakistan, and the political and cultural dynamics shaping
the region today. Learn more.
Contact Information
Joan DiPiero
Community Engagement Coordinator
(630) 942-3872
Email: dipieroj@cod.edu