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 by the St. Louis Fellows Program’s growth from 32 to 40 Fellows,” said Sam Babb, Associate Director for Community Engagement. “We hope that the expansion will increase the capacity of our partner organizations across the region and meet mission critical needs to move their work forward.”
The Civic Scholars Program boasts a strong new cohort of 17 students in the Class of 2026.
“I’m excited to collaborate with our new class of Civic Scholars over the next two years, to see how they grow in their civic engagement skills and to help steward their civic journeys,” said Alannah Glickman, Associate Director for Civic Engagement. “It’s encouraging and uplifting that we have so many students eager to commit so much of their college experience to making impact in our communities.”
In total, 57 students were selected through the competitive application progress to participate in the Gephardt Institute’s civic leadership programs.
The Civic Scholars Program is a rigorous, two-year, in-depth curriculum for undergraduate students with a passion for civic leadership. Sophomores are selected through a competitive process and learn together through their junior and senior years. The program includes intensive coursework, leadership training, and mentorship to prepare Civic Scholars for a life dedicated to civic and community engagement, academic credit, and a summer stipend of $6,500 to support their “Civic Summer” — a substantial civic project or internship during the summer after their junior year. The students can also apply for an additional $1,000 to offset the costs of implementing their Civic Summer projects.
The St. Louis Fellows Program spans six months and invites undergraduate students in their first three years of study to apply. Fellows start with a spring training curriculum and overnight retreat in preparation for full-time summer work at a nonprofit or civic initiative. They also immerse in the St. Louis community through community events, and an experiential curriculum to understand St. Louis’ history, culture, politics, challenges, and opportunities. Each St. Louis Fellow receives civic leadership development, structured supervision and mentoring, academic credit, and a $6,500 stipend in lieu of summer earnings.
In both programs, students with families of $75,000 or less in total parent income receive an automatic $1,000 supplemental stipend.
To learn more about Gephardt Institute civic leadership programs and the students who commit to civic and community engagement, click here.
The Civic Scholars and St. Louis Fellows programs are offered annually to select WashU undergraduates and are made possible by generous donations to the Gephardt Institute. Learn more here. If you are interested in applying or nominating a student for the programs, applications will be available online starting in early November. If you would like to make a gift to support these programs, please contact Colleen Watermon at cwatermon@wustl.edu.