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Learning and Leading with Purpose

Our students, faculty, and community are committed to improving lives and transforming society.

SESP students become

We value interdisciplinary training and hands-on experiences.

Join us and explore all you can do.

Programs

Get to Know Us

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Since 1926, our school has been a close-knit community of students, faculty, and staff committed to improving lives. See what makes us special.

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Ranked Education School, U.S. News & World Report
Faculty members elected to the National Academy of Education
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Undergraduates employed or completing graduate school or fellowships after graduation
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Service hours provided to local communities through the Civic Education Project

Making an Impact

At SESP, we partner with the community to maximize the impact of our research findings. These collaborations allow us to test new ideas, develop better practices, and share discoveries to benefit as many people as possible.

Student walking in Chicago by train

Morton Schapiro Northwestern Academy for Chicago Public Schools

The Morton Schapiro Northwestern Academy for Chicago Public Schools enhances access and successful matriculation for academically motivated students. Thanks to the Academy, these talented individuals are on track to attend top-tier colleges and universities. To date, graduates have enrolled in more than 115 institutions, including Northwestern, Harvard, Yale, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Nichole Pinkard working with student

STEAMbassadors

STEAMbassadors trains college-bound 18 to 24-year-olds from under-resourced communities to work with youth in neighborhoods lacking learning opportunities and role models in computer science, engineering, and the arts. They are assigned to local organizations partnering with the Chicago Department of Family Support Services in parks, libraries, and schools to create an out-of-school learning ecosystem across the city.

Evanston Township High School Partnership Office

Northwestern-Evanston Township High School (ETHS) Partnership Office

The Northwestern/ETHS Partnership Office is part of the Good Neighbor, Great University Initiative, supported by Neighborhood and Community Relations and the Office of Community Education Partnerships in the School of Education and Social Policy. Northwestern has more than 100 significant partnerships with Evanston Township High School. This relationship spans disciplines, encompassing academics, athletics, health and wellness, identity and social consciousness, college and career education, cultural events, mentoring, the arts, and community engagement.

Featured News

News and Events

2025: Year in Review

December 18, 2025 3:13 PM

Stories from 2025 that highlight our community, research, and faculty excellence.

Uri Wilensky

Wilensky: ‘We Can't Look the Other Way'

December 17, 2025 7:13 PM

Northwestern University’s Uri Wilensky shared his vision for making computational thinking more accessible during the Yidan Prize Awards Ceremony in Hong Kong, where he received the 2025 Yidan Prize for Education Research.

Kirabo Jackson: Funding Move Could Harm Vulnerable Students

December 12, 2025 2:28 PM

An overhaul at the Department of Education is set to shift funding for schools serving low-income communities to the Department of Labor, grants for parents attending colleges will go to Health and Human Services, foreign language funding over to State, and Native American education programs to Interior.

Susan Corwith

Gifted Education Leaders Earn Global, National Honors

December 3, 2025 9:47 AM

School of Education and Social Policy faculty members Paula Olszewski-Kubilius and Susan Corwith, leaders of Northwestern University’s Center for Talent Development, have been recognized for their work in the field of gifted education.

Events

Jan
1
2026

Winter Recess - University Closed Through January 1st, 2026

All day
Winter Recess - University Closed Through January 1st, 2026
Jan
5
2026

Winter classes begin

All day
Winter classes begin
Jan
5
2026

IPR Colloq.: S. Franconeri (Psych./IPR) - Point Taken: A Gamified Intervention That Creates Enlightened Disagreements

12:00 PM Chambers Hall, 600 Foster St
Title: Point Taken: A Gamified Intervention That Creates Enlightened Disagreements By Steven Franconeri, Professor of Ps...
Jan
7
2026

MSLOC/MOD Master's Degree Information Session & Application Office Hours

12:00 PM
Join MSLOC and MOD student affairs staff and a member of the Admissions Committee for a virtual information session/appl...
Jan
7
2026

Movie Screening - Fungi: Web of Life

5:30 PM Annenberg Hall, 2120 Campus Drive
Join the SESP Well-Being team for pizza and a screening of this groundbreaking film which explores the lessons we can le...
Jan
8
2026

Coaching Programs Information Session

12:00 PM
Join Northwestern coaching community members and student affairs staff for a virtual information session. During this in...