2016 Pilot Report

SPRING
into
CHICAGO

Table of Contents:
Pilot summary .............................. page 2
Details .......................................... page 3
Testimonials .................................. page 4
Takeaways .................................... page 6
Additional data ............................ page 7
Pilot Summary 2

What was Spring into Chicago?

Spring into Chicago was a spring pilot program consisting of new
facilitated events and expanded resources available for checkout by
students.

The pilot was developed by NU in Chicago, an initiative of the Center

for Civic Engagement to better connect students to Chicago-area civic
resources through engaging and interactive learning experiences.

The new events, similar to NU in Chicago

events in the past, were facilitated by
faculty and alumni and provided students
with structured opportunities for civic
engagement in the city.

The expanded resources included

free museum passes to the Adler
Planetarium and the Chicago History
Museum as well as free CTA cards pre-
loaded with up to 10 one-way rides.
This pilot was initiated by CCE from March 2016 and concluded on June 1, 2016. Read the short report below to learn
more about the pilot model, its results and potential next steps.

Program Highlights in Numbers:

585 473 students

CTA rides used by students to explore Chicago, used Spring into Chicago resources
free of cost

159 $5
free, all-access museum visits spent per student reached
made independently by students

3 minutes 98
time it took for most May resources to sell out students who logged onto the May
reservation website in the first 5 minutes
Details 3

Events:
Saturday, April 2: Beyond the Bean: History,
Hot Dogs & Hidden Gems of Chicago
Led by NU professor Bill Savage, Beyond
the Bean took over 50 students to Chicagos
south and southwest sides to explore hidden
gems in the city, including the Hyde Park site
of the Worlds Fair hosted by Chicago in 1893,
the National Museum of Mexican Art in
Pilsen, and former Mayor Daleys Bridgeport
home.
Saturday, April 30: Life in Chicago: Food,
Conversation & Neighborhood Exploration
Students on this free trip explored the South Loop
and Lincoln Square neighborhoods through the
eyes of civically engaged young alumni in the city.
In small groups of 8-10 students, they saw key
neighborhood sites, meandered through local
streets and learned how alumni have integrated
into their new community upon graduation.

Expanded Resources:
NU in Chicago offered expanded resources to encourage
independent student engagement with the world-renowned Chicago
institutions and museums that were already free for NU students, as
well as limited-time special passes to additional museums. The online
reservation form reminded students of seven civic institutions that
were free to NU students this spring and simplified the different types
of free access. The form read:

FREE w/ WildCARD: Art Institute of Chicago, Museum of Contemporary Art

FREE for public: National Museum of Mexican Art, Lincoln Park Zoo, Garfield Park Conservatory
**FREE if you check out a special museum pass for two people (reserve below):
(Limited Time - Spring 2016 only): Chicago History Museum, Adler Planetarium

The pilot program also provided CTA cards for students to travel to
these sites and explore neighborhoods without financial constraints.
Each CTA card was pre-loaded with 10 one-way rides that could be
shared with other students. We hoped this flexibility would make it
easier to explore different neighborhoods without worrying about
hopping on and off the L multiple times.

Why was this pilot planned?

NU in Chicago has hosted a variety of events and trips over the last five years, and the NU in
Chicago student leadership team was interested in developing a model for encouraging more
independent civic engagement with the city.

Who managed this pilot?

NU in Chicago and the Center for Civic Engagement partnered with Associated Student
Government, Student Enrichment Services and the Office of Campus Life to make this pilot
possible. The program was funded by the Center for Civice Engagement, which served as a great
first home base for this pilot because of the staffs experience in preparing students to have safe,
smart and enjoyable experiences on public transport and in Chicago. All logistics ran smoothly.
Testimonials 4

What did students say about this pilot program?

*quotes from an anonymous survey
Reduction of financial barriers
Without passes or programs like this, students with lower socioeconomic
statuses are prohibited from exploring Chicago. One of Northwesterns
greatest draws is its proximity to Chicago, but before this program, many
students were unable to actually take advantage of Chicago opportunities. This
program completely changes the game for low-income students and offers
them opportunities that other students may be able to take advantage of
readily.

More city access! It was great to be able to take my student group, In Our
Nature, on a group trip. We wouldnt have been able to finance everyones
CTA admission, and without that, not everyone who came would have been
able to.

I always want to go into the city to volunteer at events or support

organizations or simply learn more about things (by going to museums, etc.),
but a trip to the city can get so expensive! It costs $5 to get to and from We went downtown to the Church of
Evanston, which is about the price I pay to get groceries to cook one meal. the Beloved on Sunday. Northwestern
That can really add up to a lot, and these transportation costs defer me is already pretty expensive, so any way
from going to things that I would like to go to both for my own benefit and to to alleviate the cost of transit helps. Its
support other efforts! important to experience culture and arts
Access to new museums beyond the university. - Alex Ge
Allowed me to go to museums that I
usually would not visit

I had always wanted to go to the planetarium, but I couldnt afford general

admission. Great opportunity!

It allowed me to visit a museum I had never been to before.

I appreciated that the program gave me the chance to go into Chicago on a

weekend and explore the Adler Museum, a place I otherwise would not think
of going to on my own.

Being able to explore different museums that I would not have otherwise.

More Flexibility and Less Stress

I loved being able to explore without having to worry about the added
expense of transportation.

The CTA cards made it super easy to
get into the city and plan our weekend.
Plus, we were able to access all the Adler
Planetarium shows with the pass. I was
happy to have a reason to go into the city
and the means to do it. - Ary Hansen
Website was easy to use, card easy to check out!
I loved that I didnt have to worry about coordinating our plans with the
shuttle schedule and walking/standing outside waiting for the shuttle (which
tends to run late). The exhibit was crowded, but we took our time because we
didnt have to worry about transportation.
I like the flexibility and the information we are given (for how to use the
passes). Its easy!

I loved that we could share the CTA card and the museum passes were for two people, so I could share the
experience with a friend.

Loved the way that I was able to get on and off the El multiple times on a long, beautiful Saturday on the North Side
without getting charged numerous times (or at all)!
Testimonials 5

More student quotes:

Access to new neighborhoods

I loved that I could visit the West Side! The number of transfers needed from
NU made it too expensive to go explore otherwise. It would be great to
have this as a resource because there are so many events Ive wanted to go to
but didnt have the resource funds for (i.e. the Randolph Market).

Very helpful, didnt have to worry about transportation costs to explore

Chicagos neighborhoods, encouraged us to venture away from the Loop.

Getting to go to new neighborhoods! Love this program.

It spurred me to want to go into the city since I could at no cost. It also

helped me get off and explore neighborhoods off of the Red Line that I
normally wouldnt get off on. Using the El multiple times a day can make it
expensive, so this card helped eliminate the accumulation of expenses for
multiple uses in a single day.

It was an awesome program because we got to explore parts of Chicago

that we wouldnt have seen before, which was a great experience. Every
I think all students should have U-Passes. neighborhood is really diverse!
Medill students have to go into Chicago all
the time. I volunteer in the city and have
This pass allowed me to feel free to explore anywhere I wanted
to pay out of pocket for the train. It would
change my whole Northwestern experience without needing to be mindful of spending too much money on public
and give us the access to Chicago that transportation.
they claim when we come here. - Thelma
Godslaw

Encouraged me to take advantage of Chicago

I liked that I felt more inclined to go into the city with a friend and have
different experiences than I wouldve had on campus.

I liked how it gave me the opportunity to do something that I wouldnt

have if I werent provided the museum pass and CTA card.

I really liked that it encouraged me to go downtown. Because I had the

pass, I felt more compelled to go. I also liked that the card could be used
with other people so a group of friends and I could enjoy it together.

This program is a great way to incentivize students to go downtown and

break out of the Evanston bubble. The museum passes are a really good
deal!

It actually does motivate people to make plans to go into Chicago. Its the This program is an absolute game-changer
little push that a lot people need to get down there. for Northwestern students. Many times,
students from lower socioeconomic back-
I think its an amazing way to incentivize students to explore Chicago and grounds are unable to actually explore
see more parts of town. Chicago, despite its proximity to campus.
This program equalizes opportunities for all
students, by allowing students of all socio-
economic statuses access to Chicago, free
of monetary stress. - Amanda Walsh
Takeaways 6

Next Steps:
Student Survey Feedback: How could this program be improved?

*Circle size corresponds to #

of students who submitted
that recommendation for
improvement

Based on our experience in coordinating this pilot, we would recommend the following next steps
for expanding the program:

More Resources Available

The passes were in high demand when the reservation site went live. There were hundreds of students who logged onto
the site and within 30 minutes who did not receive any resources. To meet this demand, we recommend offering a larger
quantity of museum passes and CTA cards, especially because the cost per student for this project is fairly affordable.

Improved Checkout Process

A more central checkout location, such as Norris or the Library
Longer checkout periods that include weekdays (perhaps one week or longer)
Ability to check out passes on a shorter notice

New Museum Relationships

We have incredible existing relationships with museums, but students are interested in many more great Chicago
institutions. We found that buying a bulk number of passes for the quarter was fairly easy to negotiate. Each quarter
there could be passes to two different museums available.

This pilot was initiated by CCE from March 2016 and concluded on June 1, 2016.
Additional data 7

Who used the CTA cards and museum passes?

*Note: The student coordinator for this program was a senior, thus word of mouth may have spread faster
around that community.

How did students use the resources?

CTA Cards Used Museum Passes Used Sharing Tendencies