About

The Robinson Community Learning Center is an off-campus educational initiative of the University of Notre Dame founded in 2001 in partnership with residents of South Bend’s Northeast Neighborhood residents.

RCLC offers early childhood, youth, Shakespeare, and adult programming. The center has a state licensed preschool and is a state recognized tutoring site. The designations allow RCLC to serve the youngest members of the community in a high-quality, state-of-the-art learning environment — regardless of a family’s ability to pay. Those who live in the Northeast Neighborhood’s 46617 zip code are given priority during program registrations.

In 2020, RCLC moved from its original site, which it had outgrown, to a newly constructed building across the street in Eddy Street Commons. The new building was designed to meet the needs of RCLC’s unique programs and features a black box theater, a maker space-technology lab, a state-of-the-art early childhood classroom, a podcast studio, a flexible meeting space/classroom, an industrial kitchen, an outdoor play area and secure entrances for visitors and staff.

The University’s Office of Public Affairs operates RCLC with professional staff, Americorps Members and volunteers, many of whom are Notre Dame students. RCLC programs are overseen by an advisory board composed of residents, community leaders and educators, parents and Notre Dame faculty and staff.