Supporting the Community
Stanford’s commitment to improving where we live, work, learn, and play is expressed in many ways. Below are a few examples of how we support our communities.
Sustainability
Year in Review
Sustainability at Stanford extends from its academic work to campus operations. The university is a living laboratory for making sustainability innovation real and is on track to achieve 100 percent renewable electricity and an 80 percent reduction in scopes 1 and 2 carbon emissions by 2025. In addition, the University partners with community agencies in preventing, identifying, and mitigating the impact of wildfires.
Visit the Sustainable Stanford website
Learn about Stanford Fire Mitigation
See the 2024 year in reviewEducation
The Stanford Teacher Education Program at the Graduate School of Education works with local school districts to place teachers in Bay Area schools – most of them in public schools and more than half in schools with large concentrations of low-income students.
Learn more about the Stanford Teacher Education Program
Stanford Graduate School of Education supports teachers, students, policymakers, and other professionals through professional learning, workshops, and a broad range of community projects in local schools.
Learn more about community partnershipsTransportation
Stanford Transportation’s award-winning sustainable commute programs help mitigate greenhouse gas emissions generated by the university community while reducing local traffic congestion. In 2022, the drive-alone rate was 36% for commuting students, faculty, and staff, representing a reduction of nearly 50% from 2003, when the rate was 67%.
Stanford’s free Marguerite shuttle service, featuring mostly electric buses, provided 1.2 million rides to university affiliates and community members in 2022.
Free transit is available for eligible affiliates on Caltrain, VTA, AC Transit, Dumbarton Express, and SamTrans, in addition to 100% vanpool subsidies.
Learn more about transportation at Stanford
Stanford offers a variety of programs that connect campus residents with sustainable transportation options. In addition, Stanford Transportation operates the Marguerite shuttle service that is free and open to the public encompassing 20 routes providing service in and around the Stanford properties, first/last mile from Caltrain, commuter service from the East Bay, and access to shopping nearby in Palo Alto and Mountain View.
Biking is strongly encouraged and supported by 22,000 bike parking spaces. And Stanford has the most prominent university Zipcar fleet in the United States, with over 60 vehicles at 26 locations.
Read more about commute options for studentsHousing
Stanford has been committed to housing since its founding. In recognition of the wide regional impact of the housing crisis, Stanford joins community leadership in efforts to create or preserve housing for the broader community. See fact sheets and more
Arts
Stanford welcomed a combined 275,000 visitors to its four free campus art galleries and museums in 2019, and an additional 115,000 people attended performances presented by Stanford Live and the Department of Music.
Learn more about Stanford Arts
Stanford Live offers discounted student matinee programs suitable for all grades and provides a variety of arts-related professional development opportunities for local teachers.
Learn more about K-12 programsCommunity Engagement Hubs
Stanford hubs and community projects
Stanford has over 160 community engagement hubs across the university that connect faculty and students with communities at the local, regional, national and international levels. These hubs work in direct partnership with communities to jointly address shared challenges.
Learn more