Pitt senior Connor Diaz won a Newman Civic Fellowship Mini-Grant

For Connor Diaz, his undergraduate career is defined by his work on the mobile application CivWiz, a student-led project created in partnership with the David C. Frederick Honors College and designed to increase civic engagement and knowledge for college students.

Last year, Diaz was selected as a 2024-25 Newman Civic fellow for his work as outreach and engagement coordinator as well as chief content officer on CivWiz. Now, Diaz has been selected by Campus Compact for the Newman Civic Fellowship Mini-Grant, funded by The Allstate Foundation, to assist with the app’s playtest on March 20. The app utilizes trivia games so players can learn in a fun way and compete with others.

“We think that a free, scalable, responsive and fun civic learning solution is more necessary than ever,” Diaz said. “So as we expand our efforts to the full extent of the Pitt community and beyond, events like the playtest that Campus Compact and The Allstate Foundation have so generously and enthusiastically helped fund are and will remain essential in ensuring that CivWiz remains true to its mission and core values and in maximizing the app’s efficacy.”

CivWiz uses quizzes and community discussions to help users establish a baseline civic understanding and become more engaged citizens.

Ron Idoko, the director of the Office of Social Innovation in the Frederick Honors College, founding director of CRSP and CivWiz’s advisor, says Diaz “is CivWiz” because of his dedication to the project.

“Connor has been an incredible leader for the CivWiz project since his first year on campus. He has a deep passion for civic learning and engagement that has carried CivWiz forward in distinct and impactful ways,” said Idoko. “He is a key factor in the upcoming debut of the CivWiz mobile game this spring, and I’m excited to see the positive impact he’ll have in the world.”

The Frederick Honors College (FHC) emphasizes civic and community engagement in its pursuit of academic excellence. The Office of Community Engaged Learning within FHC, led by director Catherine Cordova, supports students in community-engaged research, volunteering and internship opportunities so they can build civic identity and support positive social change.

Dean Nicola Foote considers community engagement and learning to be one of the pillars of FHC. She also said the grant emphasizes the importance of CivWiz and its impact on community engagement.

“Connor’s work and the CivWiz project epitomize FHC’s mission to empower students to find solutions to problems and serve others with their knowledge and skill sets. I think that it really epitomizes what we’re trying to do in the Frederick Honors College, which is to empower and support students to find solutions to problems and to serve others with their own knowledge and skill set,” said Foote. “Through CivWiz, our students are bringing their commitment and expertise around civic knowledge and sharing that and making it accessible to the public. It's very powerful and exciting.”

Photography by Aimee Obidzinski