Poverty

It's impacted every century and every country. Now, Notre Dame researchers are working to create a world intolerant of poverty.

A young girl, wearing a light purple shirt, stands outside and smiles shyly while raising her hand to her face.
  4. A young man and a woman are studying with their papers on the chair between them.

    News

    Notre Dame launches unprecedented University-wide effort to fight poverty

    The University of Notre Dame is launching a bold new Poverty Initiative to develop and advance innovative solutions to help vulnerable populations and to train a new generation of leaders committed to the fight against poverty. Every day, poverty stifles hope, opportunity and dignity for 700 million people worldwide, including...

  6. A classroom of Haitian elementary students with a teacher, all sitting at their desks with books in front of them

    News

    Notre Dame literacy research can improve learning outcomes and fight global poverty

    A new study by a team of University of Notre Dame researchers makes a significant contribution to understanding the factors that influence how young elementary school students respond to reading interventions in fragile and low-income contexts. The study, published in the Comparative Education Review, evaluated an early-grade literacy intervention...

  7. News

    Through experiential learning, students explore poverty solutions in Nigeria

    Communities across northern Nigeria are chronically stressed by conflict and climate change. In 2018, for instance, 40 percent of residents lived below the international poverty line, making less than $2 per day, and another 25 percent were vulnerable to poverty. How can policymakers help them prepare for economic shocks? University...

  9. A teacher smiles at a group of enthusiastic children clapping beneath the shade of a large tree. He holds a pointer toward an expansion chart propped against the tree trunk, illustrating the concept of thousands, hundreds, tens, and ones. A small building is visible in the background.

    News

    Through local partnerships, Notre Dame researchers seek solutions to global poverty

    Notre Dame researchers are nurturing sustained relationships withinnovative local partners to scale early-grade reading interventions. Partner feedback shapes research design and strengthens impact. Education study in Africa prioritizes local engagement in Kenya, Senegal and Uganda. Collaborative research that engages partners on the ground can produce impactful interventions and promising innovations....

  10. A hand catches water pouring from a spigot with an orange handle. The spigot is attached to a white concrete wall.

    News

    New study highlights key practices for community water governance

    Water insecurity is one of the most pressing global crises caused by climate change. In fact, half the world’s population is projected to live in water-scarce regions by 2050, and some 700 million people will be displaced by water scarcity as early as 2030, according to the United Nations. Pacific...

Discover and engage
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    Podcast

    How do you measure success?

    Mendoza professor Joe Holt joins Jenna Liberto to talk purpose-driven goals, meaningful work, and redefining success.

  2. Students and three priests in white vestments gather for a night mass around a lit snow chapel and altar, snow-covered Sorin Hall in background.

    Photo Essay

    Between winter and spring

    The month in photos, February 2026

  3. Side-by-side black and white portraits. On the left, a man with wavy hair and a patterned blazer is shown in a grainy halftone style. On the right, Father Theodore Hesburgh, C.S.C., in a clerical collar, looks thoughtfully to the left.

    Article

    The press vs. the power

    Observer founder Robert Sam Anson had a contentious yet strong relationship with ND President Father Hesburgh.

  4. A woman with short dark hair smiles slightly while looking off-camera. She wears a brown, fleece-lined winter jacket. In the background, snow rests on dried plants in front of a tan brick wall.

    Podcast

    Cold plunges and unicorns

    Anthropologist Cara Ocobock reveals what extreme cold reveals about our bodies and human resilience, and why hunting a “unicorn” is harder than it looks.

  5. A snow-covered parking lot at the University of Notre Dame. Dozens of cars are buried under thick mounds of white snow, with one yellow Jeep featuring an ND logo on the spare tire cover visible amidst the winter landscape.

    Photo Essay

    Plunging into winter

    The month in photos, January 2026

  6. A wooden mannequin is manipulated like a marionette by two large, silhouetted hands from above. The background is divided vertically down the center into solid blue and red sections, symbolizing themes of control and political polarization.

    Article

    Are we social media's puppets?

    Peacebuilder Lisa Schirch believes better tech platforms can bolster democracy.

  7. Aerial view of the University of Notre Dame campus covered in snow at sunset. The Golden Dome and Basilica of the Sacred Heart spire stand against a vibrant orange sky above snow-dusted rooftops and a central quad with intersecting walkways.

    Article

    Sustainers of hope: How Notre Dame pursued breakthroughs for a world in need in 2025

    The year in review.

  8. A bright lightning bolt flashes down behind the dark spire of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart and the illuminated Golden Dome of Notre Dame's Main Building under a grey, stormy sky.

    Photo Essay

    25 images of 2025

    From the changing built environment to the changing seasons, every one of the 365 days of 2025 looked different.

  9. Snowy winter night at the University of Notre Dame. The Golden Dome of the Main Building and the spire of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart glow, surrounded by warm lights and a blue-lit Christmas tree.

    Video

    Merry Christmas from Notre Dame