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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

Alumni Return for Homecoming Luncheon

October 7, 2026 11:49 AM

More than two dozen School of Education and Social Policy alumni will return home on Friday, Oct. 9 for our annual homecoming luncheon.

SESP's Big Ten Players of the Week

October 6, 2026 9:28 AM

School of Education and Social Policy alumnus Braydon Brus and undergraduate Ashley Sessa were named Big Ten Player of the Week in their respective sports.

Gwen Faulkner teaching

NCARE Launches Four New Rural District Partnerships

September 25, 2026 10:42 AM

The Northwestern Collaborative for Applied Research in Education (NCARE), a research-practice partnership that uses data to support students and teachers, is expanding its statewide reach through four new partnerships with Illinois school districts.

Miriam Sherin

Sherin to Lead Master's and Professional Programs

September 4, 2026 4:30 PM

Miriam Gamoran Sherin has been named associate dean for master’s and professional education at Northwestern's School of Education and Social Policy, a new role that reflects the growing scope and importance of the master’s and professional programs.

Events

Oct
8
2026

Family Action Network (FAN) - Dad Brain: The New Science of Fatherhood and How It Shapes Men’s Lives

7:00 PM
In Dad Brain: The New Science of Fatherhood and How It Shapes Men’s Lives, clinical psychologist and professor of psycho...
Oct
9
2026

Family Action Network (FAN) - Agency: The Psychological History of Human Progress

12:00 PM
What drives human progress, and why does it surge in some eras and stall in others, even under similar conditions? In Ag...
Oct
9
2026

SESP Student-Alumni Lunch

12:00 PM 2001 Sheridan Road
The annual SESP Student-Alumni Lunch allows current School of Education and Social Policy students connect with our alum...
Oct
9
2026

Dean’s Centennial Reception

4:00 PM 2001 Sheridan Road
Please join us on October 9 for the Dean’s Centennial Reception to hear a short address by Dean Bryan Brayboy, enjoy ref...
Oct
12
2026

IPR Colloq.: E. Thom (IPR/Poli. Sci.) - The Politics of Industrial Decline: Social Programs and Political Behavior in Appalachia

12:00 PM Chambers Hall, 600 Foster St
Title: The Politics of Industrial Decline: Social Programs and Political Behavior in Appalachia By Elizabeth Thom, Colle...
Oct
12
2026

Family Action Network (FAN) - Girlhood, Translated: Understanding Young Women in the Age of Therapy Speak and Self-Diagnosis

7:00 PM , 310 Green Bay Rd.
Over the past decade, psychiatrist Suzanne Garfinkle-Crowell, MD, has noticed a striking shift in her practice. The girl...