Neighbors
Neighborhood
Office of Government & Community Relations
The students, faculty and staff of the George Washington University value our community and the relationships we have with our neighbors. We are all, together, in and of the District of Columbia. We hope you, our neighbors, take full advantage of everything GW has to offer: performing arts, technology assistance, legal clinics, art galleries, sporting events, library access, course auditing, and much, much more.
Make this your home for community activity listings, information updates, and new opportunities to discover GW.
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GW Community Spotlight
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New Students Volunteer across the City for Welcome Day of Service
George Washington University student volunteers busied themselves Saturday afternoon clearing weeds, pulling overhanging vines from a fence and removing old mulch from a Foggy Bottom dog park. Others picked up debris and swept a children’s park in the neighborhood near the university’s main campus.
The first-year and transfer student volunteers were joined by members of GW leadership, including President Mark S. Wrighton, who noted at one site that the university “is going to be stronger if its community is stronger, and we’re in the neighborhood, and we want to be surrounded by great neighbors and a great community.”
It was the 14th annual Convocation and Welcome Day of Service and the first fully in-person event since 2019. The project activities at 61 sites—including about 40 schools ahead of the first day of returning to classes for D.C. Public Schools—mostly around the city were organized by the Honey Nashman Center for Civic Engagement and Public Service. At one of the largest school sites, Bruce-Monroe Elementary School in Northwest D.C., more than 125 students helped to paint and spruce up the school, with several students returning on Sunday to finish projects that were left unfinished.
Some students were welcomed at the Children’s Playground by Deborah Baker, senior career counselor, Public Interest Advising and Programs at GW Law School, and Denise Vogt, both members of the Foggy Bottom Association. “We’ve been trying to build a better relationship with GW,” said Baker, “and what better way than to introduce students to Foggy Bottom on their very first sojourn into the city.”
Learn more about GW's Welcome Day of Service and volunteer testimoney at GW Today.
GW Serves DC
This year marks the George Washington University’s bicentennial. For the past 200 years, the fates and fortunes of both GW and Washington, D.C., have been closely intertwined. Together, we have seen both great opportunities and challenges, and we have strengthened our bonds through our shared experiences.
Thanks to these strong ties, we have established many community partnerships, guided by the deep conviction that we have a responsibility to serve our local communities. The projects and programs that have emerged from our partnerships are based on mutual care, respect and collaboration. The university’s bicentennial is an important time to reflect on the significance of the work that our students, faculty and staff perform in the D.C. community. Given the recent challenges of the pandemic, the need for sustained community engagement has never been clearer.
I am pleased to share with you this report featuring an overview of civic engagement activities that GW has undertaken in our city. We are proud of the work of our community, and we are excited about the ongoing contributions we will make to help improve our home, Washington, D.C.
Thank you for your continued support and partnership.
Sincerely,
Thomas J. LeBlanc
President (2017-2021)
Departmental Collaboration
Community Relations is a university-wide commitment and it wouldn't be possible without the extensive departmental collaboration that takes place all across campus. From architects to campus planners to student affairs professionals, community relations are ingrained and woven closely in the fabric of the George Washington University. Please consider all of us, your connection and gateway to the university.
