The Northwestern University Settlement House

Northwestern Settlement was founded in 1891 by leaders of Northwestern University as a separate and financially independent institution.  It has been at its current location since 1901.  The Settlement is second in age only to Jane Addams Hull-House, and it is one of the few traditional settlement houses remaining in the entire country.

For nearly 120 years, the Settlement has equipped its neighbors with the tools they need to succeed.  Our entire program is based upon the concept of individual and family self-help, and the underlying philosophy that every person deserves to maximize his or her potential to become a productive member of society. Through more than 70 different programs and services, our staff and hundreds of volunteers work with more than 8,000 neighbors each year through core programming and 32,000 through our theater.

Holistic Programming
Northwestern University Settlement offers a wide array of programs and services in West Town/Humboldt Park and across the city.  With education as the driving force, the majority of programs fall into three categories: youth, arts, and social services.

Current programming includes the following:

• A Head Start pre-school
• School-age programming
• Year-round residential camping
• A food pantry;An emergency fund
• An arts-in-education program that partners with more than 100 public schools
• An AmeriCorps program
• A senior citizens club;
• English as a Second Language classes

This holistic approach to community problem solving incorporates extensive networking with neighborhood schools, area universities, police departments, neighborhood governments, citywide non-profit organizations, local businesses, and other community-based organizations and service providers. More information can be found here!