For more than 50 years, Walden has been empowering passionate people to make a difference—in their lives and in their communities.
In 1970, Bernie and Rita Turner sought to build a learning community where knowledge could be applied to solve key societal challenges. Their vision: to empower students to make a difference by confronting those challenges where they live, in their professions, and on a global scale. Today, Walden is still rooted in a commitment to positive social change. It’s not just something we talk about—it’s who we are. We’ve evolved online learning to help passionate people transform their own life and the lives of others. Our students, alumni, faculty, and staff are putting our mission into action every day, creating real examples of social change in their communities and beyond.
Walden University provides a diverse community of career professionals with the opportunity to transform themselves as scholar-practitioners so that they can effect positive social change.
Walden University envisions a distinctively different 21st-century learning community where knowledge is judged worthy to the degree that it can be applied by its graduates to the immediate solutions of critical societal challenges, thereby advancing the greater global good.
Walden’s Center for Social Change is a networking hub with three major commitments: empowering change-makers, building community, and elevating social change outcomes. The center partners with stakeholders across the university and in the community to support and create many social change initiatives, including Global Days of Service.
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Social change is not just something we talk about at Walden—it’s who we are. As a Certified B Corporation®, we’re part of a growing movement of organizations and companies that are dedicated to creating and contributing to mission-driven change. Together, we’re working toward positively impacting the communities we serve, as well as future generations.
A Walden education isn’t just about gaining knowledge; it’s about being emboldened to take action. Through Acts for Good, our alumni are translating their degrees into real-world impact and building better, stronger communities—from Texas to Virginia and across the nation.
As an oncology and hospice nurse, Caroline Cárdenas (MSN, ’14) knows firsthand the mental exhaustion caregivers face. She’s now using her Walden degree to help others overcome compassion fatigue and prevent burnout through movement, play, and intentional reflection.
After Dr. Alvin Cantero (DNP ’17 and MSN ’15) relocated to America, he needed a degree from a U.S.-based institution to continue his mission of care. Today, he’s using his Walden MSN and DNP degrees to treat underserved communities in Houston.
While many people may not be familiar with period poverty, it’s a reality for 20% of teenagers in the United States. Not having access to period supplies can make it difficult for girls to focus in class or even attend school sometimes. For Dr. Elesia Glover (PhD in Public Policy and Administration, '18), this issue led her to found Posh Pack, an organization that makes these basic essentials available to students in Georgia and beyond.
Walden Community Libraries promote literacy and educational access by offering a free book exchange to communities in need. Each library includes a range of books, with a particular focus on selections that emphasize equity, inclusion, and social justice.
What is social impact? We’re proud to share stories of alumni who are actively bringing Walden’s social change mission to life. Find out how they’re using their education to make a real, sustainable difference in their organizations, fields, and communities.
Walden Magazine // 7/20/2020
Joyce Reingold
On Walden University’s first Global Day of Service in 2006, faculty, staff, students, and alumni worked alongside members of their communities on meaningful volunteer activities—neighbors helping neighbors. It was an ideal fit for a university founded to inspire and lead scholars to work for positive social change.
Spotlight on Walden // 2/24/2021
Inspired by their mother, Drs. Ikenna and Faraji Martin, PhD in Human Services and MS in Human Services graduates, are working to help children and young adults succeed through mentoring and higher education.
Spotlight on Walden // 6/26/2020
Dr. Genn Herley, a Walden PhD in Psychology graduate, launches TransNewYork to offer resources to the LGBTQIA+ community and increase acceptance of transgender individuals.
Talk to your personal Enrollment Specialist for more information today.
