Foregrounding interdisciplinary thinking and collabortion with practitioners, policymakers, and communities, Civic Spark is cultivating the next generation of changemakers: leaders who understand complex policy problems and are equipped to design and advocate for innovative, impactful solutions in an interdependent world.
Karreth’sCivic Spark Policy Lab earned the competitive award from Project Pericles, with thespring 2027 course set to build on a successful 2026 pilot.
Through simulations, community partnerships, policy labs, and curated internships, Ursinus students interested in careers related to politics, policy, communication at the local, state federal level, social justice, environment, healthcare, innovation, and the arts will gain hands-on experience in policy writing, stakeholder engagement, and innovative civic leadership.
Joining forces with County Office of Innovation, Strategy and Performance
Civic Spark Policy Lab, was invited to the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners meeting, where they were recognized for the work they will be doing for the Office of Innovation, Strategy and Performance. The students are working on a project on social impact bonds for the county, throughout the semester.
Philadelphia’s City Hall for Coversation and Shadowing
Civic Spark students spent January 2026 Experimental Learning Week discovering the ins and outs of housing policy in Pennsylvania. They heard from community activists, non-profits, and Representative Heather Boyd, who sits of the PA House’s housing committee. To cap off the experience, they visited Philadelphia City Hall—meeting with a city council member, the mayor’s Chief Housing and Urban Development Officer, and a Philadelphia Inquirer columnist, before attending a press conference to see Mayor Cherelle Parker sign her signature housing initiative—H.O.M.E–into law!
Experiencing the historic 7th ward through Race and the American City course
In conjunction with Professor Shai Karp’s Race and the American City class, Civic Spark students traveled to Center City Philadelphia for a walking tour of the city’s historic 7th Ward. Students learned first-hand about the neighborhood, which was the center of Black life in the city from the late 1700s through the middle of the 20th century. The walking tour put students face-to-face with sites that were pivotal in the development of Black politics, thought, social movements, literature, and music, from the Underground Railroad to jazz. Students had the chance to encounter the past and experience the city in its contemporary form.
Civic Spark Hosts Alumni Panel
In February Civic Spark hosted three Ursinus alumni, who joined first- and second-year students to chat about their careers in policy and government.
During Ursinus’ first Experiential Learning Week, the Civic Spark innovation hub hosted a four-day skills workshop on campus. Students attended the “Policy Skills Bootcamp” and learned to use data to make the case for a problem to be solved, identify relevant stakeholders, and put it all together in policy memo.
Students were encouraged to pick a policy issue they are passionate about and focus their research on that issue. Chosen topics included campus concerns such as recycling infrastructure and fundraising strategies as well as nationwide issues from immigration enforcement to affordability in higher education. Alum Paul Cottam ’19, now a senior policy advisor at the United Kingdom’s permanent mission to the United Nations, led two sessions on Wednesday on briefing memos and data visualization.
