Cardinal Service
Cardinal Service, administered by the Haas Center for Public Service, is a university-wide effort to make public service and civic engagement essential features of a Stanford education. From the moment you arrive on campus, you can find opportunities to serve locally, nationally, and around the world.
EXPLORE ways to make a difference. If you’re new to service, short on time, or don’t know where to start, drop into the Haas Center for guidance from staff or a peer advisor. Sign up for the weekly Cardinal Service newsletter to find out about events and opportunities. New admits can apply for Ignite, a pre-orientation service experience.
ENGAGE with a nonprofit organization or government agency for summer work, sign up to tutor and mentor local youth, or make a regular commitment to volunteer in your community. Apply for Cardinal Quarter to participate in one of more than 500 full-time, quarter-long public service opportunities. Take one of more than 150 Cardinal Courses, classes that integrate academic learning with service experiences.
LEAD the effort to advance service at Stanford. Help your fellow students get involved in service opportunities as a peer advisor or Issue Area Coordinator, get leadership coaching and training in community organizing, or chair a student service organization.
LAUNCH your public service career. Receive support from Cardinal Careers advisors to explore public service careers and integrate service into any career. Take advantage of high-impact recruiting and networking events, online resources to find internship and career opportunities, tailored career coaching and advising, access to prestigious national scholarships, and connections to alumni.
Cardinal Quarter
Build knowledge, skills, and networks while making meaningful contributions to communities locally, nationally, and across the globe.
Cardinal Quarter offers you the opportunity to participate in a full-time, quarter-long, funded public service experience designed to integrate your academic learning with field-based experience. You can pursue prearranged placements or self-designed opportunities in both domestic and international settings. Nearly 500 opportunities are offered each year through more than 30 campus partners involved in the Cardinal Quarter initiative.
Visit Cardinal Quarter on the Cardinal Service website
Cardinal Courses
Enroll in courses that apply classroom knowledge to real-world problems.
Work with renowned faculty across disciplines through Cardinal Courses that address complex social and environmental issues. Choose from more than 150 innovative classes that integrate rigorous coursework with real-world service experience.
Video: Stanford's Cardinal Courses integrate rigorous coursework with social impact
Visit Cardinal Courses on the Cardinal Service website
Cardinal Commitment
Cardinal Commitment supports and honors students’ individual sustained public service.
Making a Cardinal Commitment means engaging with a community to address a problem or need for at least three quarters while you’re at Stanford. You’ll develop a personal mission statement describing your commitment, receive advice and guidance from a mentor or supervisor, and spend some time documenting and reflecting on your service experience.
Make a Cardinal Commitment—develop your civic identity, learn public service skills, and see the impact sustained public service can have on a community, an issue, and you!
Visit Cardinal Commitment on the Cardinal Service website
Cardinal Careers
The Cardinal Careers team makes public service careers more visible, valued, and accessible to Stanford students. They offer advising and resources to help you pursue social impact in your career.
Meet with a Cardinal Careers advisor and get started on your career search or fellowship process; explore campus resources to help you with your job search and prepare yourself to work for the public good; discover the different public service and social impact careers available by attending a Cardinal Careers event; or apply for a full-time, mentored fellowship in an organization with a mission to serve the public good.
Visit Cardinal Careers on the Cardinal Service website