Center for Technology, Innovation and Community Engagement Information

The Center for Technology, Innovation and Community Engagement, or CTICE (pronounced SEE-tice), supports community-based learning programs for Columbia students and creates and sustains partnerships between Columbia University and her neighbors. CTICE harnesses material and intellectual resources available at Columbia University to train students using real-world experiences In 2006, Columbia Engineering established CTICE as a way to expand community-based learning for University students while promoting development in surrounding neighborhoods. With the help of other University offices and local community-based organizations, CTICE programs educate local youth, train residents for new careers, support local entrepreneurs and economic development, and help community organizations achieve their goals. At CTICE, we firmly believe that real-world experience dramatically improves the educational experience for students, at any level in any discipline. Therefore, all CTICE programs use community-based learning (often called service learning) to educate students for lives of social responsibility and civic engagement. And most CTICE programs focus for-credit courses and co-curricular programs for Columbia University students. The CTICE-supported community-based learning curriculum constitutes one of the nation’s largest programs of its kind, involving 800 students per year, awarding more than 1800 credits, and working on more than 100 community projects.