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 […]
Category: Student News
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Summer Staff Share Program Impacts & St. Louis Highlights
In June, four summer interns and two new professional staff members joined the Gephardt Institute team.
Next Steps for Civic Scholars Program Graduates
Over the past two years, the Civic Scholars Class of 2018 completed four semesters of academic coursework, received multiple levels of mentorship, and developed substantial summer civic engagement projects. Like the 40 program alumni who have come before them, they acquired advanced civic leadership skills and demonstrate a significant commitment to civic engagement post-graduation. Learn more about their current and […]
Gephardt Institute Receives Major Gift to Enhance Civic Scholars Program
Mickey and Debbie Stern, longtime supporters of Washington University in St. Louis, have made a $1 million commitment to the Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement in support of our Civic Scholars Program. “For more than two decades, Mickey and Debbie Stern have been tremendous volunteers and benefactors of Washington University,” said Chancellor Mark […]
Announcing 2018 Goldman Fellows
Congratulations to the 2018 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 continuing undergraduate students who secure unpaid internships at nonprofit, community, or governmental organizations in the St. Louis region. Through the program’s cohort experience, Goldman Fellows are […]
Behind the Scenes with the Blood Drive Leadership Team
Blood drives are a life-saving tradition at Washington University. Sponsored by the Gephardt Institute in partnership with American Red Cross and Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center, drives take place four times a year at multiple locations across campus. Although they have become a routine part of the university’s culture, few people realize that a majority […]
Students “Meet St. Louis” on City-Wide Excursions
During their first week of college, new students encounter many exciting firsts. In addition to experiencing first classes and on-campus activities, many students start to explore their new city through Meet St. Louis, a program that provides a unique opportunity to discover, engage, and reflect on community development efforts and service opportunities in St. Louis. Meet St. […]
Looking Beyond the “Whats” to the “Hows”
Molly Brodsky, a senior and Stern Family Civic Scholar, delivered a powerful speech to first-year students and their families at convocation in August 2017. Brodsky is double majoring in anthropology: global health and the environment, and women, gender, and sexuality studies. I love semi-colons. I think the semi-colon does something pretty magical. It takes two […]
WashU Named a Voter Friendly Campus
Washington University in St. Louis has been nationally recognized as a Voter Friendly Campus. Following a competitive application process, 83 universities received the designation, which recognizes campuses doing excellent work to empower their students to participate in the democratic process. The Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement is responsible for overseeing the voter registration, compliance, and engagement processes for students […]
Beijing Forum Inspires Cross-Cultural Reflections on University Social Responsibility
Civic Scholar Laken Sylvander ‘17 joined research manager Matthew Bakko to represent Washington University in Beijing at the University Social Responsibility Network Summit and the Beijing Forum. When I was informed I was selected to serve as the WashU student representative to travel to Beijing and present at the University Social Responsibility Network Summit, I […]
Empowering Students to Vote
Cassie Klosterman served as the Gephardt Institute’s first Voter Engagement Fellow. Beginning her role in her final semester at WashU, Cassie led campus voter registration efforts through the November election. Cassie mobilized a team of students to register over 3,600 new voters on campus. Here she reflects on her experiences before embarking on a new journey […]
In the News: Gephardt Institute Completes Registration Push
Voter engagement efforts registered a record 3,608 students.
Voter Engagement Initiatives Coming Up This Fall
This 2016 election cycle provides an exciting opportunity to launch a new voter engagement strategy for WashU, as the upcoming presidential debate at WashU and long publicized election have created a surge of interest in political engagement across campus.
Crash Course in Politics
Just Do It! Courses Provide Students with the Fundamentals of Political Engagement
Blood Drives: More than Meets the Eye
Emily Mueller, AB’16, reflects on her experience with the institute as its Blood Drive Coordinator.
Civic Scholars 2016 Reflections
The Civic Scholars Program Class of 2016 reflects on their two years as scholars.
Danforth Scholars Reflect on Spring Break Immersion in St. Louis
Danforth Scholars asked for a new model for spring break service, one that would teach them about St. Louis and provide an anchor for their studies at WashU.
WashU Selected to Host 2017 Impact Conference
WashU has been selected as host of the 2017 IMPACT National Conference, which will gather national student leaders in civic engagement and service.
In the News: Fail Better: Kierstan Carter
A new series titled “Fail Better” showcases Washington University faculty, staff and students who have failed big, sometimes in very public, humiliating ways. And yet, their so-called failure has brought surprising rewards. The latest interview in the series profiles Gephardt Institute Civic Scholar Kierstan Carter, who wanted to change St. Louis by connecting high school students with […]
Revamped Fund Helps Build Strong Communities
The WashU campus is teeming with students, faculty, and staff who have the ideas, knowledge, and drive to make an impact in the community. The Civic Engagement Fund, now reinvigorated with additional funding and new categories, is the institute’s vehicle to help catalyze these efforts to strengthen communities in St. Louis and beyond. Now in […]
Greeks Give Back in Day of Service
This post is brought to you by Katy Przybylski, vice president of campus and community outreach at the WashU Women’s Panhellenic Association. A staggering thirty percent of Washington University in St. Louis’s undergraduate population is a member of a fraternity or sorority. And there is strength in those numbers. On Saturday, September 26th, 250 volunteers […]
First-Year Students “Meet St. Louis” in New Program
With Meet St. Louis, a new program for first-year undergraduates, small groups of students set out across the city on half-day experiences focused on discovery of local issues, service, and reflection. Led by faculty, staff, and student group leaders who have a specific and deep connection with a variety of local issues and neighborhoods, nearly 400 students took the first step in an important dialogue about what it means to be an engaged member of the St. Louis community.
Gephardt Institute Selects 2017 Cohorts of Civic Scholars
The Gephardt Institute for Public Service selected twelve sophomores for its 2017 class of the Civic Scholars Program. With its mission “to cultivate the next generation of civic leaders,” the program seeks students with exemplary scholarship, leadership, and commitment to community engagement. Civic Scholars enroll in two years of academic coursework related to civic leadership […]