Mariah Davis ’24, a Kleinhandler Civic Scholar, reflects on her civic journey during her time working with the Gephardt Institute. The following essay by Davis exemplifies the Gephardt Institute’s goal of empowering and challenging students to meet the issues facing our society with passion, care and, above all, hope for the future. The American experiment […]
Category: Gephardt News
New ChangeMaker Series hosts alumnus Marcus Brown
As part of a new event series created to make meaningful connections between civic leaders who are impacting their community and current students who aspire to do the same, Marcus Brown AB ’13, MSW ’16 spoke before a crowd of students and faculty/staff about his career experience at U.S. Bank. His talk kicked off the […]
New Gephardt staff complete leadership team
Marking the culmination of an intentional hiring process conducted over the course last year, the Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement announces the completion of its new leadership team. “Our new leadership team represents an important milestone for the Gephardt Institute as we conclude our 18th year and build for the future,” said Stephanie […]
Civic Scholars launch spring semester with immersion trip
Junior and senior Civic Scholars embarked on a four-day immersion through the St. Louis region, capping their winter break with an in-depth experience of the history, issues and political structures of the area. On Jan. 10-13, 30 Civic Scholars joined Gephardt Institute facilitators Dr. Alannah Glickman, Associate Director for Civic Engagement; Sarah Nash, Community Engagement […]
Chancellor, Thomas talk now available to view
The Gephardt Institute welcomed Nancy Thomas, director of the Institute for Democracy & Higher Education (IDHE) at Tufts University’s Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life, to WashU for a series of presentations, workshops, and a feature even on “Educating for Democracy in a Time of Division.”
Alumni Spotlight: Anne Filipic ’04
An undergraduate leadership program at WashU helped Anne Filipic ’04 cement her passion for community service—a passion that took her to the White House, and now to her career as a national leader in the fight to end poverty and hunger. In August, Filipic was hired as Chief Executive Officer of Share Our Strength, a […]
Gephardt marks success of new weekly events
Civic Café and Food for Thought—new programs for the fall 2022 semester—give WashU students a regular and unintimidating forum to drop in, discuss community and civic issues with experts, and weigh in during open conversation. Both weekly conversations are served over food from locally owned eateries.
Civic Scholars to Present Projects in Rapid-fire “PechaKucha” Events
The Gephardt Institute’s Civic Scholars Program provides a rigorous, in-depth curriculum for undergraduate students with an interest and passion for civic leadership. Sophomores are selected through a competitive process and learn together through their junior and senior years. During the summer before their senior year, each Civic Scholar develops and implements an independent Civic Summer project […]
Institute Effort Drives Voter Turnout
“Best voting experience ever!” “Great experience, start to finish.” “Every vote day should feel like this!” The results are in, and the Gephardt Institute’s voter turnout efforts were a smashing success, according to the students who voted on campus on Nov. 8. Almost 950 students and other St. Louis County voters cast their Midterm Election […]
Civic Engagement doesn’t End with the Election
After the massive effort to get out the vote at WashU, the Gephardt Institute’s efforts to instill civic engagement interest and skills in students are still going strong. Civic Café is a new weekly event held in Stix House on Tuesdays, in which the WashU community is invited to discuss a civic issue or develop […]
First Civic Action Week puts Gephardt mission front and center at WashU
From Sept. 26 to Oct. 1, the Gephardt Institute was proud to introduce our inaugural Civic Action Week (CAW) in partnership with the Woman’s Society of Washington University in St. Louis. Across campus, different faculty, staff, and community partners hosted events and other opportunities to engage the WashU community as part of the Institute’s mission […]
Staff Feature: Louis Damani Jones
As the 2022 Primary Elections rapidly approach, we sat down with Voter Engagement Coordinator, Louis Damani Jones, to hear more about his work. Louis is a graduate of the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis and a previous Engage Democracy Fellow at the institute. We are excited that he is now bringing his […]
Introducing: Sonia Sequeira
Summer is finally here, which means our 2022 St. Louis summer fellowships are just getting started! Leading these programs is our Associate Director for Community Engagement, Sonia Sequeira. Sonia joined the Gephardt Institute team back in January, and brings a wealth of experience, humor, and insight to the role. Here, MarComm Intern Lily Gordon chats […]
A Fond Farewell to the Class of 2022
“Kindness, enthusiasm, curiosity, and solidarity, which often show up in small acts, are some of the best ways to make an impact.” Noor Ghanam ’22 Noor Ghanam delivered a commencement speech that invoked common themes from her career at WashU, as Gephardt Institute staff fought back tears of joy and pride. Ghanam, a Kleinhandler Civic […]
Announcing Civic Action Week, Sept. 25-30
In collaboration with the Women’s Society of Washington University, the Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement is excited to announce the inaugural Civic Action Week, Sept. 25-30, 2022. It’s a new initiative to highlight civic engagement opportunities available at WashU and in the St. Louis community. Working across campus with faculty, staff and community partners, […]
Otto Brown: 2022 ALL IN Student Voting Honor Roll Recipient
Today, the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge announced the names of 82
college students who were selected for the Student Voting Honor Roll. Representing Washington University in St. Louis, Civic Scholar and WashU Votes President Otto Brown was selected as the 2022 honoree.
Student Spotlight: Sophia Dutton
Sophia Dutton has quickly become an advocate for the unhoused population of St. Louis whilst being involved with and now serving as president of Heart for the Unhoused. This interest for the intersection between healthcare and helping the unhoused community was something she realized while in high school, holding an internship at Johns Hopkins hospital. […]
Adaptive Apparel: Changing How We Conceptualize Fashion
Shelei Pan can attest that some of the best ideas are sparked without much intention. In high school, one of her close friends who uses a walker expressed how difficult it was to find attire for the Homecoming Dance. “Finding a dress, suit, or pant, is so crucial to your comfort and how confident you […]
Fall Break Reimagined
For many students, the fall 2021 semester marked the long-awaited return to campus and to a greater sense of normalcy since the unprecedented arrival of COVID-19. For Civic Scholars, this term provided the opportunity to resume off-campus learning experiences through the annual immersion trip. However, this year there was a slight twist: for the first time […]
Civic Scholar Spotlight: Akhil Kesaraju, Class of 2022
Washington University senior and Stern Family Civic Scholar Akhil Kesaraju is no stranger to getting involved in his community. As a senior in high school, he was drawn to WashU partly after hearing about the Civic Scholars Program, in which students receive funding to pursue a self-directed civic project during the summer between their junior and senior year.
Civic Scholars Staff Spotlight: Stephanie Weiskopf
We were thrilled to welcome Stephanie Weiskopf to the Civic Scholars Program team this fall as the lead instructor for the Class of 2023. At WashU, Stephanie also serves as the Associate Director for Residential Faculty Engagement. Meet, Stephanie! Stephanie, tell us a little about yourself. I am a St. Louis transplant who often makes conversation […]
A Guide to Redistricting in St. Louis
This year, the City of St. Louis redistricting process includes the additional task of reducing the number of city wards from 28 to 14. The St. Louis Board of Aldermen has until December 31, 2021, to finalize the new ward map.
The following resources provide more information about redistricting, including comparisons across states, understanding who guides redistricting, common terminology associated with the process, and more.
Former Staff and Partners of the Institute Gather for Congressman Gephardt’s 80th Birthday
Nearly 200 former employees, partners, and campaign staff members affiliated with Congressman Dick Gephardt hosted a virtual reunion over the summer for a belated 80th birthday celebration for the Congressman.
Washington University in St. Louis Announced as 2021 ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge Award Winner
Washington University in St. Louis received the Best Action Plan Award for Best in Class – 4-Year Private Institution at the virtual award ceremony. The award is presented to recognize WashU’s efforts to develop and implement a campus-wide voter engagement action plan to help students to improve nonpartisan civic learning, political engagement, and voter participation.
St. Louis Initiative Partners with Goldman Fellows
In 2021, the Goldman Fellows Program will support its largest cohort to date. Fourteen fellows have been selected to participate in the 14th cycle of the program. The expanded capacity for the program is thanks to a successful proposal to pilot fellowships with Washington University’s St. Louis Initiative in which fellows will work with the […]
Honoring our 2021 Student Staff Graduates
Amidst a year of exceptional challenges, we look for moments of appreciation and celebration. We’re pleased to honor our Gephardt Institute student staff graduates and celebrate their achievements, not only professionally, but personally. From navigating a global pandemic and heightened global issues of racial injustice to adjusting to online classes and new realities, our students […]
Introducing The 2021 Goldman Fellows
The Goldman Fellows Program, funded by the Joyce and Irving Goldman Family Foundation, is a competitive fellowship that provides $5,000 summer stipends for undergraduate students who secure unpaid internships at nonprofit, community, or governmental organizations in the St. Louis region. Fellows are supported by a network of peers and staff as they embark on their own individually-crafted […]
Student Spotlight: Russell Beckham, Goldman Fellows Program Class of 2020
A Goldman Fellow in the summer of 2020, Russell Beckham (he/him) had the opportunity to work with Beyond Housing and an Economic Development Committee in Pine Lawn while learning about St. Louis alongside a group of other fellows. As an intern for Beyond Housing, he assisted the organization’s community engagement and policy advocacy efforts, including […]
Goldman Fellow Reflection: Kimberly Bolch, Class of 2010
In the summer of 2010 I was fortunate enough to receive a Goldman Fellowship to support my internship at the regional non-profit Focus St. Louis. My experience working on their Policy and Community Engagement team was one of my first opportunities to gain professional exposure to the world of economic and social development. In my […]
Student Spotlight: Christian Baker, Goldman Fellows Program Class of 2019
Meet Class of 2019 Goldman Fellow Christian Baker, AB ’20, and learn more about his experiences in the program, his advice for future Goldman Fellows, and more in the interview below. Can you tell about your experience at WashU? What was your academic focus, and how did you make connections across the university? As a […]
Introducing Our Civic Scholars Class of 2023
Great civic leaders are not born, but made. The Civic Scholars Program gives bright young people the mentorship, experience, and know-how to do something truly significant to benefit society. Robert C. Virgil, MBA ’60, DBA ’67, Trustee Emeritus; Past Chair, Gephardt Institute National Council; Civic Scholars Program Founding Donor The Gephardt Institute is thrilled to […]
Staff Member Spotlight: Nick Zevely
Nick Zevely is the marketing and communications manager at the Gephardt Institute. Prior to joining the Gephardt Institute in November 2020, he served as the Senior Director of External Affairs at The Mission Continues, a national nonprofit organization serving military veterans. In this short interview, he shares his motivation to join the Gephardt Institute, podcast […]
Class Acts: The Makers
This story was originally featured in The Source (April 16, 2021) Welcome to Class Acts, a celebration of remarkable graduating students at Washington University in St. Louis. In upcoming weeks, we will highlight graduating students who have made an impact through their advocacy, research, work to improve equity in health care, and efforts to build […]
Alumni Spotlight: Rachel Sumption, AB ‘16, Civic Scholar Class of 2016
“In another world, I’d be a yoga instructor and own a bed and breakfast,” Rachel Sumption, Civic Scholar Class of 2016, confessed. But in this world, Rachel does quite the opposite—she is an associate at Clifford Chance, an international law firm, taking business calls at odd hours from her apartment in London, England while juggling […]
Class Acts: The Advocates
This story was originally featured in The Source (April 23, 2021) Senior Logan Phillips calls Black History Month “a time for blissful remembrance and celebration.” But is that all there is? “Black History Month needs to go beyond those 28 days because people were Black before those days started and they will be Black beyond […]
Washington University is Designated a ‘Voter-Friendly Campus’ For a Third Straight Year
The Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement successfully led efforts to register voters and helped the university community vote safely during the COVID-19 pandemic. Washington University ranks third in the nation for number of students — 2,600 — who registered to vote and receive voting alerts via digital voting platform TurboVote.
Course Spotlight: “Just Do It! Skills That Turn Passion Into Policy”
As part of the Gephardt Institute’s commitment to civic education and our Engage Democracy initiative, the institute and the Department of Political Science collaborate to offer one credit courses that teach students to leverage the political process to achieve a policy or advocacy goal. In 2020, David Leipholtz balanced his full-time commitment as Executive Director for the Center of Civic Research and […]
“New in the Lou” Connects WashU to St. Louis, Even from Afar
The Gephardt Institute hosted a series of virtual conversations this fall designed to introduce St. Louis to new residents, and create dialogue about the region through the eyes of our local community. The conversations, titled “New in the Lou,” were created for WashU students, faculty, and staff new to the St. Louis region or with a desire […]
Navigating Black Grief and Joy: Recent Grant Recipient Curates Art Exhibition
Precious Musa, a second year graduate student completing her MFA in poetry, received a Community Partnership Grant in May from the Gephardt Institute to curate “Listen Look: A Reconciliatory Journey Through Black Grief and Joy”, taking place on February 20th 2021 from 3-5pm CST. The multi-media art exhibition centers Black St. Louis artists grappling with […]
Q & A with Dr. Shruti Desai
Our Associate Director and Chief of Staff, Dr. Shruti Desai, is making exciting leaps and transitioning to Associate Vice President of Student Affairs for Campus Life at Duke University! Here, Shruti reflects on her time at the Gephardt Institute and offers advice for the next leader to fill her (big!) shoes. What is a favorite […]
Democracy is a Substitute for War
When Congress reconvened in the late hours of Wednesday evening, January 6th, following the cascade of violence that swept through the halls of the Capitol earlier in the day, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer recalled the words of our founder, former Congressman Dick Gephardt, to capture the severity and magnitude of the moment: “Democracy is […]
#MyFirstElection Social Media Campaign
This fall, the Gephardt Institute launched #MyFirstElection, a storytelling campaign that shares individuals’ experience engaging in the U.S. 2020 presidential election. Posting a series of short videos on our Facebook and Instagram social media accounts, we aimed to address any uncertainties that first-time voters may have been feeling toward the election. Featured stories shared other […]
US Elections 101: Partnership with the Office for International Students and Scholars
In preparation for Election Day, the Gephardt Institute and our campus partners mobilized efforts to register voters, educate voters, and ensure voters make their voices heard. Suffrage is at the core of U.S. democracy, but for the international student body of Washington University, civic engagement is still possible outside the ballot box. International students comprise […]
Washington University designated ‘Voter-Friendly Campus’
By Diane Toroian Keaggy • March 15, 2019 Originally featured in The Source Washington University in St. Louis has been recognized, for the second time, as a “Voter-Friendly Campus” by the Campus Vote Project and NASPA – Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education. The Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement, through its comprehensive Engage Democracy initiative, increased voter […]
Class of 2021 Spotlight: Andrew Whitaker
By Leslie Gibson McCarthy • October 28, 2020 Originally published in The Source Andrew Whitaker has spent his undergraduate career at Washington University in St. Louis giving back. A biomedical engineering major at the McKelvey School of Engineering, he has danced and played with kids who have cerebral palsy so they can put on a dance recital through Dance […]
Class of 2021 Spotlight: Jessica Yu
With involvement in Civic Scholars, WashU Undergraduate and Graduate Workers’ Union (WUGWU), Asian and Pacific Islanders Demanding Justice (APIDJ), and Abolish WUPD, senior Jessica Yu is no stranger to student activism. In high school, she got involved in a community organization for Asian youth, which exposed her to social justice and community-centered initiatives. As these […]
Fall Break with a Twist
With a truncated Fall term due to the pandemic, the academic term was devoid of the coveted annual Fall Break. Nevertheless, the Civic Scholars Program continued to provide current cohort members with a virtual immersive experience geared toward learning more about housing security and land use in the greater St. Louis region. Civic Scholars had […]
Staff Spotlight: Dwayne T. James
We are delighted to have Dwayne T. James join the Civic Scholars Program as the co-instructor for the Class of 2022. Dwayne is the County Program Director for University of Missouri (MU) Extension – St. Louis County. He has served as a Council Member for the City of Ferguson, is the Race Director for the […]
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3
By Diane Toroian Keaggy • October 30, 2020 Article featured in The Source Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3, and the Washington University in St. Louis Athletic Complex is ready to welcome students, faculty and staff who are registered to vote in St. Louis County. Polls open at 6 a.m Tuesday and will remain open until all voters […]
Half of WU students voted in 2016. Turnout this year may look different.
Matthew Friedman | Associate Editor • November 3, 2020 Originally featured in Student Life When Lindsay Gassman was a second year student at Washington University in the fall of 2018, she noticed that few of her peers were thinking ahead about voting in the upcoming midterm elections. The midterms generated some energy and enthusiasm on campus, she recalled, […]