Rush University Medical Center in Chicago is dedicated to serving the distinct and diverse neighbors that surround the medical center.
The Department of Community Affairs serves as the bridge between the medical center and our neighbors. In this role, the department provides assistance to the community to improve health and education, especially for children and young adults, as well as, being an active participant in the future development of the neighborhood.
The Science and Math Excellence (SAME) Network is a large-scale community service enterprise operated by the Department of Community Affairs at Rush University Medical Center. The SAME Network was developed in response to the low science, math and reading test scores in Chicago schools in surrounding neighborhoods.
Formed in 1990, the SAME Network provides students in these neighborhoods with the same opportunities to learn math and science as are available to their peers in more affluent areas. At that time, Rush Community Affairs staff spearheaded the SAME Network’s first effort to improve education in the area by raising funds from the community to build state-of-the-art science laboratories in local schools that lacked these facilities. Since then, the SAME Network has grown into a collaborative between Rush University Medical Center and 45 elementary schools, eleven high schools, and many Chicago-area businesses.
A variety of programs have been initiated by the Department of Community Affairs to increase outreach efforts such as the Senior Coalition and the Science and Math Excellence (SAME) Network.
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Rush Community Benefits Report