Welcome to the Leonard Gelfand Center for Service Learning and Outreach!

We work with faculty, students and staff through on-campus and community-based activities that improve educational opportunities, especially in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics education for youth.  The Leonard Gelfand Center for Service Learning and Outreach was endowed by alumnus Mark Gelfand, MCS '73, to create and strengthen partnerships with local schools and education providers.

Our services are wide-ranging.  

The Gelfand Center services include, but are not limited to:

• Coordinating the Gelfand Outreach program through which university faculty and students plan and conduct STEM-focused workshops for K-12 students; formats include week-long Summer Program workshops and Saturday Series programs during the academic year.
• Conducting professional development activities that provide accurate and up-to-date information about STEM research and careers to teachers; these events may be focus-group sessions during which the educators also help Carnegie Mellon faculty to understand connections between their research and topics taught in the schools.  Faculty can use information acquired at these events to develop more effective educational outreach strategies for proposals.
• Assisting faculty with Broader Impacts strategy development for National Science Foundation proposals, while also planning, coordinating and implementing a variety of Broader Impacts activities, upon request.
• Hiring students to tutor students from Pittsburgh Public Schools, at selected school buildings and in partnership with community organizations.
• Designing and conducting STEM demonstrations and hands-on activities, or educational field trips for local schools and organizations on Carnegie Mellon's campus, with priority given to programs that serve at-risk youth. These programs are supported by Gelfand STEM Ambassadors.
• Providing annual faculty and student awards to recognize significant educational outreach activities that positively impact the community.

Please explore our site to learn about the work of the Gelfand Center and contact us if you have any questions!