Date and Time Title Link to Event Page Feb. 17, 2025 at 12 p.m. Civic Action Week: Amplify Your Voice: Best Practices for Effective State-Level Advocacy https://gephardtinstitute.wustl.edu/calendar_event/civic-action-week-amplify-your-voice/ Feb. 17, 2025 at 2 p.m. Civic Action Week: Connecting Campus to Community with the Campus Y https://gephardtinstitute.wustl.edu/calendar_event/civic-action-week-campus-y/ Feb. 17, 2025 at 6:30 p.m. Civic Action Week: Interwoven […]
Category: Gephardt News
Please Help Honor Jane Gephardt
Matching Gift Opportunity to Support the St. Louis Fellows Program January 13, 2025 marked the one-year anniversary of the passing of Jane Gephardt, Congressman Dick Gephardt’s wife of 57 years. Jane played a key role in the establishment of the Gephardt Institute. To honor Jane, we have a goal of establishing the Jane Gephardt Memorial Fellow […]
In massive third year increase,Civic Action Week hosts 28 events
The Gephardt Institute hosted its third annual Civic Action Week last week, Feb. 17-23, to highlight civic and community engagement opportunities and topics across campus in events largely proposed and hosted by WashU student groups, schools and departments. The first two years of Civic Action Week saw 12 and 16 events, respectively. But in 2025, […]
Gephardt students extend summer work through St. Louis Impact Fund
The Gephardt Institute awarded $11,100, through the St. Louis Impact Fund, to nine St. Louis Fellows and Civic Scholars to support their goals to make deeper impacts in the community-engaged work they began last summer. These Partnership Extension Grants help students extend their time with the organizations they partnered with during the summer to continue making […]
Philanthropy Lab students champion funding for local farm nonprofit
In 2024, The Philanthropy Lab national organization granted $62,500 to nonprofits in the St. Louis region through their Ambassador Board. These organizations were championed not only by WashU students, but even a student from Stanford University. Offered in partnership with the Gephardt Institute, Philanthropy Lab is a sociology course designed to give students a theoretical […]
New St. Louis Fellows offering aims to reduce gun violence
New this year, the St. Louis Fellows Program will offer a specific opportunity to help address gun violence in the region. The forthcoming Arnold Family Fellow — created through a vision and gift from Jane Arnold JD ’93 and her children — is part of the new class of St. Louis Fellows and will be granted to […]
St. Louis Fellows Program grows again, reaches 45 students
After a record number of applications, a packed week of back-to-back interviews, and a rigorous selection process, the Gephardt Institute announces its largest class of St. Louis Fellows in the program’s nearly 20-year history. “WashU is in St. Louis and for St. Louis,” said Executive Director Stephanie Kurtzman. “The St. Louis Fellows Program offers a […]
Snowy Missouri immersion trip brings Civic Scholars together
This month, just days after a storm blanketed Missouri in snow, the Civic Scholars Classes of 2025 and 2026 embarked on their annual immersion trip. From Jan. 7 to 10, and with an itinerary that required flexibility due to the weather, the Civic Scholars met with community organizations, local elected and city management officials, and […]
For Dennis, Gephardt role is a nexus of skill and passions
As the Digital Communications Specialist at the Gephardt Institute, Autumn Dennis is responsible for content creation, graphic design and storytelling—the behind-the-scenes work that is integral for the Institute’s success. “I love what I do now. It feels like it integrates everything I’ve ever done,” said Dennis. “My whole thing is providing opportunities for students to […]
Ramirez hones devotion to legal advocacy with ArchCity
Persistence can pay off. One day, while sitting in his “Social Inequality in America” class, St. Louis Fellow Brodhi Ramirez ‘27 listened to a teaching assistant discuss the role that the legal and social justice organization, ArchCity Defenders, played in the Ferguson Uprising. “I got chills for a minute, and that same day, I sent […]
Barnes presents St. Louis Impact Fund results at Delmar DivINe
Mac Barnes ’26, a 2024 Transform Grant recipient of the Gephardt Institute’s St. Louis Impact Fund, unveiled his exhibit, “Quilts as Civic Engagement: An Interactive History of St. Louis and the Delmar Region,” on Wednesday, Dec. 18. Coinciding with the grand opening of WashU’s Community Engagement Office, located in Delmar DivINe at 5501 Delmar Blvd. […]
Stix House art showcases community engagement through photography
Walking through the halls of Stix House, home of the Gephardt Institute, it’s difficult to miss the photographs of St. Louis’s urban landscape that adorn its the walls. The photographs were taken by Sydney Hlavaty, a WashU alumna and former Photography Intern for the Gephardt Institute in the 2023-2024 school year. The prints were donated […]
‘Brilliant’ Fellows help Great Rivers deliver environmental justice
Eight floors up in the nondescript Security Building in downtown St. Louis, a small legal team has been engaged in public service work for over two decades at the Great Rivers Environmental Law Center. Last summer as part of the St. Louis Fellows Program, Jordyn Ederer ‘26, a Goldman Fellow, worked out of the firm’s […]
Students experience Ferguson through lens of tragedy and revival
This month, a group of WashU students took an Engage STL trip to Ferguson, Missouri, and learned about the community through the honoring of the life of Michael Brown Jr. 2024 marks the 10th year since Michael Brown Sr. buried his 18-year-old son, after Michael Brown Jr. was shot and killed by a Ferguson police […]
Gephardt hosts two polling places, breaks on-campus turnout record
Nov. 5 marked the 60th presidential election in United States history, and between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m., a record-setting nearly 2,100 voters flocked to WashU’s on-campus polling places to cast their ballots. “Our voter turnout on the Danforth Campus was the highest in WashU history. The vast majority of these voters were students,” said […]
Civic Scholars share impacts made across nation
The Class of 2025 Civic Scholars congregated at Holmes Lounge on Monday, Oct. 21 to present on their Civic Summers at the annual Civic Scholars Share Out, before their advisors, mentors, community partners, family, and friends. Dewitt Campbell, Manager of Civic Learning Initiatives at the Gephardt Institute, kicked off the ceremony by welcoming attendees. “I’m […]
Gephardt, WashU go big on voter engagement throughout 2024
The 2024 General Election is almost here, and as the nation focuses on the issues, the candidates, and the politics, the Gephardt Institute has also spent thousands of staff hours encouraging civic engagement, helping students get ready to vote, and preparing to host campus polling places. When November ends, the Gephardt Institute will have hosted […]
‘We Live Here’ hosts share Ferguson storytelling experience at Civic Café
As part of the Gephardt Institute’s Civic Café weekly dinner and dialogue series, St. Louis Public Radio reporter Chad Davis and producer Danny Wicentowski spoke to a crowd of students on Oct. 1 about their experience in making the podcast “We Live Here: 10 Years After the Ferguson Uprising.” The podcast, hosted by Davis and […]
WashU Votes co-chairs earn award, $5K grant for engagement efforts
In September, WashU Votes leaders Amelia Letson ‘25 and Hannah Pignataro ‘26 received a $5,000 grant in honor of their campus leadership. The grant came from the Student Union Leadership Award, which WashU Student Union gives annually in recognition and support of outstanding student leaders. Throughout their leadership, they have demonstrated creative problem solving and […]
WashU course awards more than $68K to St. Louis nonprofits
Students in WashU’s Philanthropy Lab course awarded $143,000 to 14 nonprofit organizations across the St. Louis region this year, including $10,000 to Great Rivers Environmental Law Center that ultimately grew to $35,000 for the organization. Offered in partnership with the Gephardt Institute, Philanthropy Lab is a sociology course designed to give students a theoretical and […]
STL Impact Fund projects near completion as institute looks to 2nd year
Last fall, the Gephardt Institute launched the St. Louis Impact Fund, which offers four different grant opportunities to students seeking funding and support for partnership-based projects critical to community needs. The Transform Grant, the largest of these opportunities, is designed to support robust partnerships between Washington University students and local non-profit or civic organizations, by […]
Gephardt connects with students as institute launches 2024-2025 year
In addition to several major events that made for a memorable start to the Fall 2024 Semester, the Gephardt Institute made a big effort to connect with students and let them know their opportunities for involvement at WashU. Clockwise from upper left, Community Engagement Manager Sarah Nash talks with a student about Gephardt’s fall programming […]
Visiting Civic Fellow Isikoff draws student crowds, sparks civic engagement
It was my experience at Washington University that really gave me my appreciation for the democratic process.” Michael Isikoff AB ’74 This month, the Gephardt Institute hosted investigative journalist Michael Isikoff AB ’74, a WashU alumnus and Visiting Civic Fellow. An award-winning journalist and bestselling author who worked as an investigative reporter for The Washington […]
‘Ready, Set, Vote’ effort nets more than 200 new voter registrations
Staff and faculty joined the Gephardt Institute in running “Ready, Set, Vote,” a university-wide event spotlighting National Voter Registration Day, Tuesday, Sept. 17, to encourage voting and spread the word on voter registration deadlines and requirements. National Voter Registration Day is an annual holiday to remind eligible voters to register, check local voting requirements, and […]
The Longest Table sees more than 200 students for dialogue and dinner
On Thursday, Sept. 5 at 5:30 p.m., 210 students gathered on Brookings Quad, ready to enjoy thought-provoking conversation with those around them and delicious food from The Vine Mediterranean Café at Washington University’s second annual Longest Table. “Dialogue events like this one feel particularly important during an election year, because of how it serves as […]
Neighborhood immersions and retreat bond Fellows with St. Louis, each other
When a WashU student becomes a St. Louis Fellow, they make a commitment to serve St. Louis effectively and responsibly, immersing themselves in the community and finding ways to contribute to positive progress in the region. As part of this commitment, St. Louis Fellows participate in Engage STL Days, during which they visit local neighborhoods […]
‘My job is to give back’: Campbell joins Gephardt staff
Dewitt Campbell was raised in the Skinker DeBaliviere neighborhood, mere blocks away from the Washington University campus. He fondly recalls frolicking across the campus as a kid—using his bike to jump stairs—and notes that WashU has always been part of his life. Now, Campbell serves as the Manager of Civic Learning Initiatives at the Gephardt […]
Gephardt fall calendar packed with opportunities to engage and learn
The Gephardt Institute has a robust calendar of events and programming this fall to get students engaged. These events help students learn how they can develop their civic skills, engage with the St. Louis community, and find ways to bring their civic passions and ideas to life. The institute’s programming brings people together and provides […]
Big turnout for Missouri Primary at WashU’s on-campus polling place
Though students had yet to return to campus, WashU’s on-campus polling place saw nearly double the voter turnout in the Missouri Primary Election this month, compared to April’s Municipal Election. Though the two elections are very different in scope, races and initiatives, the steady turnout at the WashU polling place, hosted by the Gephardt Institute […]
At Cortex, Taylor works at the intersection of economics and inclusion
In July, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics published that for the first time in more than three decades, St. Louis ranked in the top 10 American metropolitan areas for job growth. While that feat is no one’s alone to claim, the Cortex Innovation Community, a nonprofit dedicated to elevating the St. Louis economy, certainly […]
Seminars bring fellows to Eagleton Courthouse, Democracy Panel
Experiencing the nuances of local leadership and judicial impacts are an important part of student civic learning. In the Gephardt Institute’s St. Louis Fellows Program, the Fellows engage in summer weekly seminars centered on civic engagement. While most of their sessions are at Stix House, two of the seminars took place off campus at the […]
Institute brings community engagement best practices to CLDE conference
In early June, a trio of Gephardt Institute staff traveled to Detroit, Michigan to attend the national Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement Conference and present on the institute’s best practices. The annual conference is hosted by NASPA: Student Affairs Adminisrators in Higher Education and the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. It convenes a diverse range […]
New Civic Action Lab course aims to boost voter engagement
This fall, the Gephardt Institute will offer a new democracy course to students. The course—Civic Action Lab: Strategies for Engagement in U.S. Elections—is the latest addition to the institute’s Applied Civic Courses and is listed in American Culture Studies. “Particularly in this major election year, it is vital for students to understand their many outlets […]
STL ArtWorks bringing creative joy to kids with support of St. Louis Fellow
If you’ve ever passed a jolt of brightly colored art in St. Louis, there’s a chance that young apprentices created the piece in a two-story building on the Delmar Loop, just north of WashU’s campus and Forest Park. And if you walk into that building this summer, one of the first people you’re likely to […]
Three classes of Civic Scholars gather to celebrate, advise, build community
The Gephardt Institute celebrated three classes of Civic Scholars last month during the annual “All Civic Celebration” event. Held on Sunday, April 21 in Umrath Lounge, the annual program brings together graduating seniors, juniors who are about to begin their Civic Summers, and sophomores who are new to the Civic Scholars Program to celebrate their […]
Student artists selected for inaugural Atkin Residency in the Art of Democracy
Two rising seniors earned the distinction of being named the first recipients of the new Atkin Residency in the Art of Democracy. Madison Brown ’25 and Atalya Magdalena ’25 were selected through a competitive application process to be the inaugural Atkin Residents. The yearlong Atkin Residency in the Art of Democracy provides a platform […]
Yelamali brings healing through the arts program to Children’s Hospital
During the COVID pandemic, Aditya Yelamali ’24 was worried that patients at St. Louis Children’s Hospital lacked interaction and stimuli that could help them heal. Yelamali, a 2023 Fandos Fellow in the St. Louis Fellows program, created Hearts for Arts as a patient-driven solution that would transcend the pandemic. “We coordinated with Melody Deweese, a […]
Spring trainings equip St. Louis Fellows with community-engaged best practices
The 2024 St. Louis Fellows have completed their spring training, immersive and experiential symposia that help equip them with the community engagement tools and knowledge to contribute to change efforts in the region this summer. With the program expanding to a record 40 Fellows this year, Community Engagement Manager Sarah Nash was grateful that the […]
Institute announces new classes of Civic Scholars, St. Louis Fellows
A record number of WashU students committed to leading change now and throughout their lives by joining the Gephardt Institute’s Civic Scholars and St. Louis Fellows programs. The announcement of the new cohorts of civic leadership programs follows a recruitment cycle that began last fall and saw more applications than ever before. “We’re particularly excited […]
Gephardt, university partners host WashU’s first Municipal Election polling place
The Gephardt Institute hosted WashU’s first-ever Municipal Election polling place this month, advancing the institute’s commitment to drive voter participation in every election. With support from a growing number of university partners and voter engagement efforts from the WashU Votes student group, Missouri’s Municipal Elections were held on Tuesday, April 2, and WashU was able […]
Five honored with Gerry and Bob Virgil Ethic of Service Awards
In an inspiring show of support and love, family, friends, collaborators, and fans turned out in droves to celebrate the commitment to service of five WashU community members. Andrew de las Alas ’25, Sneha Chaturvedi ‘19 (MD/PhD candidate), Bella Gomez ’26, Adjunct Instructor Dr. Dwayne T. James, and Dr. Professor Susan Stiritz PhD, MSW, MBA, […]
Philanthropy Lab students grant more than $68,000 to St. Louis nonprofits
Students in Philanthropy Lab, a WashU Sociology course supported by the Gephardt Institute and The Philanthropy Lab national organization, granted $68,000 to nonprofits in the St. Louis region during an event held at Stix House last week. WashU Chancellor Andrew D. Martin and Lisa Weingarth, Senior Advisor for St. Louis Initiatives, joined the Philanthropy Lab […]
Watch: Elliot H. Stein Lecture in Ethics with Dr. Richard Haass
On April 1, 2024, as part of our Engage Democracy 2024 Series, the Gephardt Institute hosted Dr. Richard Haass — veteran foreign diplomat and author of “The Bill of Obligations: The Ten Habits of Good Citizens” — for an Elliot H. Stein Lecture in Ethics. About Dr. Haass: Dr. Richard Haass, a veteran diplomat and […]
Institute’s voter engagement plan lauded by higher ed voting experts
Some people thing about voting a few times a year, if that. For Civic Engagement Manager Otto Brown, however, not a day goes by that he isn’t thinking about voting issues like voter registration and voter education. Since September 2023, Brown and the rest of Gephardt’s Engage Democracy team worked on the 2024 ALL IN […]
Notables: Da’Juantay Wynter; Spectrum Awards
Gephardt-involved WashU students and alumni — including Student Engagement Specialist Sophie Devincenti, Donovan Dixson ’24, Sophie Lin ’26, Aspen Schisler ‘26, Charlie Shaw ’24, Laken Sylvander ‘17, Pat Wang ’24, and Da’Juantay Wynter ‘26 — were honored recently for their civic engagement efforts and community contributions. Da’Juantay Wynter ‘26, a Mosbacher St. Louis Fellow, was […]
Philanthropy Lab students learn the ropes of supporting and vetting organizations
Donating to causes can be simple, but responsible philanthropy — especially when the goal is community improvement — requires building partnerships, vetting organizations, and an analytical eye. It’s a lesson that Professor Barbara Levin works to instill in students through Philanthropy Lab, a Department of Sociology course that she teaches each spring. The class, which partners with […]
Voting activist Brown urges citizen engagement in WashU Votes event
Black Voters Matter co-founder LaTosha Brown spoke at WashU this month at an event co-hosted by WashU Votes, the Association of Black Students and the Social Programming Board. “Empowering Black and Brown Voters: Fireside Chat with Black Voters Matter Co-Founder LaTosha Brown” was held in Holmes Lounge on Wednesday evening, March 8. Her talk was […]
Alumni Spotlight: Andreas Mitchell AB ’13
“If not for Civic Scholars, I don’t think I would have had the confidence to go down this road.” The lessons Dr. Andreas Mitchell AB ‘13 learned with Civic Scholars inform how he approaches his work today. His time as a Civic Scholar gave him a sense of what civic leadership looks like and whether […]
Civic Scholars journey to DC for first time since 2019
A hallmark of the Civic Scholars Program is the opportunity to travel to Washington DC for a four-day immersion trip. Last month, 32 Class of 2024 and 2025 Civic Scholars learned about the federal policymaking process at the heart of where it takes place, met with federal representatives of St. Louis and Missouri, and discussed […]
Institute to host “The Bill of Obligations” author Dr. Richard Haass on April 1
On April 1 at 4 p.m., Dr. Richard Haass will give an Elliot Stein Lecture in Ethics at the Emerson Auditorium in the Knight Center. Please RSVP. Haass, a veteran diplomat and respected scholar of international relations, will speak on his book, The Bill of Obligations: The Ten Habits of Good Citizens, and the question it […]