This article describes the origins, evolution, and development of a comprehensive civic engagement program designed to encourage Ivy League students to pursue public service careers with nonprofits and municipal government organizations serving New York City's poorest children, families, and neighborhoods. The article offers a detailed description of the various programs that constitute the Cornell Urban Scholars Program, which includes a high school leadership camp, a public-service-oriented alternative spring break, an undergraduate summer internship program, a graduate research fellowship in children, family, and community development policy making, a nonprofit career fair, and a new refereed journal. The article also includes a preliminary analysis of the accomplishments and limitations of this new civic engagement effort. It concludes with a review of the major factors that have led to the program's initial success and ongoing sustainability.