Community Building Fellowship Program
The Community Partnership Project at the University of Missouri-St. Louis is recruiting graduate students who are interested in pursuing future careers in community development and community building to participate in the 2008 Fellowship Program.
| Community building is defined as strengthening the capacity of residents, associations, and organizations to work individually and collectively to sustain positive local community change. |
The Community Building Fellowship is designed to introduce a talented group of UM-St. Louis graduate students to the challenges and opportunities for working with community-based initiatives in the St. Louis region. Selected fellows will have the opportunity to work closely with faculty and staff affiliated with the Community Partnership Project and the Nonprofit Management and Leadership Program on a community-based initiative that is bringing residents and stakeholders together and addressing a priority issue or important public problems. Projects under development for the 2008-2009 academic year include:
- A community health initiative developed in cooperation with the Old North St. Louis Restoration Group and several community partners, with a specific focus on expanding access to fresh foods and groceries within the neighborhood.
- A community engagement project developed in cooperation with the Normandy School District, assisting in building linkages with key community stakeholders and supporting Normandy students.
Additional projects will be considered.
Selected Fellows will receive a $2,500 award, along with access to an on-campus office and mentors as part of the community-building project. Fellows may also be able to use the community project as an internship or practicum experience, depending on the guidelines of their academic department. In addition to the community project, Fellows will be expected to attend monthly brown bag conversations and be available to present the results of their community-building project in cooperation with a community partner at the annual community-building conference.
ELIGIBILITY:
Current UM-St. Louis graduate students or individuals who have already applied for graduate admission are eligible. Two fellowships will be awarded in the fall 2008 semester, with the possibility of two additional fellowships awarded in the spring 2009 semester
SELECTION PROCESS AND CRITERIA:
Applications will be evaluated on the basis of merit. Successful applicants must possess a minimum eligibility requirement of a 3.0 GPA in graduate and undergraduate studies, as well as an interest in working with community-based efforts that engage residents and organizations in creating positive local change.
The application deadline is August 29, 2008.
Finalists for the Fellowship will be required to participate in an interview with the Community Building Fellowship Selection Committee, composed of UM-St. Louis faculty and leaders from our region's nonprofit and public sectors. Fellowship recipients will be announced by September 8
FELLOWSHIP APPLICATION MATERIALS:
For more information, contact:
Kay Gasen
Community Partnership Project
University of Missouri-St. Louis
(314) 516-5269
gasen@umsl.edu