Community Engagement

Bringing the best to IU, and IU to the best

IU has never had more resources, outreach programs, and financial aid available than it does today, and many potential students simply need to be made aware of what's out there for them.

Through campus visits and other programming, we pair middle, junior, and high school students with current IU students to offer "near-peer" perspectives of the college experience at Indiana University. We also team with other departments on campus to offer detailed timelines and realistic steps pre-college students can take to prepare academically, socially, and financially for life after high school.

Approximately 2,500 minority precollege students and their families connect with IU through OVPDEI each year.

Campus visits and programs

Our Community & School Partnerships program within OVPDEI seeks to present Indiana University as an attractive option for the underrepresented populations we serve. Regardless of a student's choice of school—or even his or her decision to attend college—we want to be a positive change agent in the lives of everyone who passes through our programs.

Half-day campus visit

Come visit our beautiful Bloomington campus in fall, winter, or spring. Campus Visits are designed for school and community groups of up to 50 elementary, middle, junior, or high school students. Half-day visits typically last about three hours and include a presentation by IU Admissions and scholarship programs, a campus tour, and lunch with current IU students. Tours of the IU Athletics facilities are not arranged through our office. 

Full-day campus visit

Full-day campus visits are designed for school and community groups of up to 50 elementary, middle, junior, or high school students. Full-day visits typically last about six hours and include a presentation by IU Admissions and scholarship programs, a campus and dorm room tour, lunch with current IU students, culture center visits, and additional academic presentations. If your group has a special interest, such as law, music, or chemistry, we will work to create a customized experience for you. Tours of the IU Athletics facilities are not arranged through our office. 

Spring Shadow

Spring Shadow is a three-day, two-night experience for high school sophomores and juniors. Students will stay in IU residence halls and shadow a current IU student through classes, work, study, and extracurricular activities. Participants will also receive information on the admissions process and scholarship opportunities. 

Apply to the Spring Shadow program

Jim Holland Summer Enrichment Program

The James Holland Summer Enrichment Program (SEP) is an exciting glimpse into the world of science awaiting students at Indiana University. High-achieving underrepresented students are invited to attend five days of lectures, laboratory work, and discussions while living in an IU residence hall and experiencing campus life. 

Apply to the Summer Enrichment Program

Jim Holland Summer Science Research Program

The James Holland Summer Science Research Program (SSRP) is the second-year component to the James Holland Summer Enrichment Program. Students are invited to return to IU’s campus for a week of intensive research in the laboratory of an IU professor, culminating in a poster presentation of the student’s research on the final day. 

Apply to the Summer Science Research Program

James Holland Research Initiative in STEM Education

The James Holland Research Initiative in STEM Education (RISE) is the third-year complement to the James Holland SEP and SSRP programs. SEP and SSRP participants are invited to return for a two-week residential camp as rising seniors to prepare them for a career in STEM training, specifically on the IU Bloomington campus. Students work with select faculty to understand the goals, current leading questions, standard methodologies, and hands-on activities of the faculties’ respective fields.

Apply to the RISE program

Summer Experience in Sustainability and the Environment (SESE)

The Summer Experience in Sustainability and the Environment (SESE) is designed to engage high school students in educational experiences focused on the environment and sustainability while living on the IUB campus.

Apply to the SESE program

Gabriel Escobedo, graduate assistant at La Casa Latino Cultural Center

I’m Mexican-American, but I never knew what that meant. I’ve never been Mexican enough or American enough. I always felt like the hyphen in between. It took me a long time to realize that the hyphen in between could either keep the two words apart or bridge them together. The difference is how I choose to use my identity. That’s why I do all this. I want to be the bridge.

Gabriel Escobedo, graduate assistant at La Casa Latino Cultural Center

IU partnerships

  • 21st Century Scholars Program
  • Groups Scholars Program
  • Hudson and Holland Scholars Program
  • Mentoring Services and Leadership Development
  • Academic Support Services
  • School of Public Health
  • School of Public and Environmental Affairs
  • Department of Biology at IU Bloomington
  • IU Residential Programs and Services
  • Office of Admissions
  • Office of Enrollment Management
  • The Media School

Community partnerships

  • Boys and Girls Club
  • 100 Black Men
  • The Banneker Center
  • Indiana Community Schools Network
  • Providence Cristo Rey High School
  • Arsenal Technical High School

Start your transition to life after high school