Madalyn Schenk fought for significant political change both in Louisiana and in the nation as a whole. Schenk orchestrated the first pro-choice rally in Louisiana and was Louisiana contact for the Million Mom March in 2000, a national mobilization for gun control. She held leadership roles in six major Democratic campaigns, including the elections of President Bill Clinton and Senator Mary Landrieu. As an education reformer, she helped to initiate the National Council of Jewish Women’s Home Instruction Program for Pre-School Youngsters, helping parents with limited education prepare their children for school. She also chaired the Louisiana Serve Commission, evaluating AmeriCorps competitive grants for Louisiana. After Hurricane Katrina, Schenk served on the fundraising boards of two exemplary public schools, and in 2010 she was appointed to the board of directors of the New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts. She chaired the public policy committee of United Way's Women's Leadership Initiative and advocated for quality rating systems to improve childcare and early childhood education. She also advocated for changes in the law protecting survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. In 2016, she founded the Nancy M. Marsiglia Institute of Justice, a collaboration between Loyola Law School and the United Way of Southeast Louisiana. In 2022, Schenk earned a master’s in liberal arts from the Tulane School of Professional Advancement, over 50 years after completing her undergraduate degree at the University of Illinois.