Are you interested in spending next summer learning from and contributing to St. Louis? The St. Louis Fellows Program is a unique opportunity for WashU undergraduates to dedicate a summer to St. Louis, with peers from across schools and majors who engage with the St. Louis region beyond their classrooms.
Through this competitive 6-month fellowship program, students spend a summer immersing themselves in St. Louis by working full-time non-profit or civic internships, attending a range of community events, and engaging in an experiential curriculum to understand St. Louis’ history, culture, politics, challenges, and opportunities.
St. Louis Fellows Application
The St. Louis Fellows Program application for Summer 2025 closed on Dec. 6, 2024. The application for Summer 2026 will open in Fall 2025.
In the meantime, please subscribe to our Opportunities newsletter and follow us on Instagram to stay connected with the St. Louis Fellows.
Submit a Recommendation
Recommendations are required for the St. Louis Fellows Program and should be written by a professor, supervisor or teacher. All recommendations are due by Dec. 6, 2024.
St. Louis Fellows Program Overview
| Program Focus | St. Louis Fellows is a cohort experience featuring a 10-week, full-time summer internship at a St. Louis area nonprofit or civic organization and an experiential curriculum that explores St. Louis’ history, culture, politics, challenges, and opportunities. |
| Academic Credits | Optional 3 credit hours for coursework |
| Program Eligibility | First years, sophomores, and juniors (You must be enrolled as an undergraduate student in fall 2025). |
| Regional Focus | St. Louis Metro Area |
| Program Length | The St. Louis Fellows Program runs from June 2025 through August 2025, with required events in the spring and fall. |
| Funding or Stipend | $7,500 base stipend. Students with high financial need will also receive a $1,000 supplemental stipend. Eligibility is determined by Student Financial Services at the time of program acceptance. |
| Internship Interest Areas Include | Arts, aging, community development, criminal justice reform, education, gun safety, housing, immigration, food justice, LGBTQIA+ advocacy, local government, mental health, public health, racial equity, voting rights, and more! |
Criteria for the St. Louis Fellows Program
Undergraduate WashU students who will still be undergraduate students in Fall 2025 are invited to apply for the St. Louis Fellows Program. This includes international students, students currently studying abroad, and students who are in a 3-2 program. Students who are graduating in May 2025, and current graduate students, are not eligible to apply.
The St. Louis Fellows Program has dozens of community partners working across the region in many different areas, including the arts, public health, racial equity, environmental justice, LGBTQ+ advocacy, democracy, and more! With the support of Gephardt staff, fellows will secure full-time, 10-week summer internships that align with their civic passions and career interests. *Please note, Morris Fellows, Arts as Civic Engagement Fellows, and Democracy Fellows are assigned to their partner organization based on pre-existing partnerships.
In lieu of summer earnings, each fellow will receive a $7,500 base stipend to help offset living costs and expenses. Students with high financial need will also receive a $1,000 supplemental stipend. Eligibility is determined by Student Financial Services at the time of program acceptance.
St. Louis Fellows will learn about and engage with St. Louis’ history and culture through an experiential curriculum that integrates classroom learning with off-campus experiences. The program requires three trainings in spring 2025, an overnight off-campus retreat to kick-off the summer, weekly seminars and community events alongside their 10-week summer internships, and a culminating Showcase event in fall 2025.
Program alumni often share that one of the best parts of being a St. Louis Fellow is the friendships they build with their “fellow Fellows.” Because the program is open to all undergraduate students across years, schools, and majors, Fellows often meet and build relationships with students they wouldn’t have met otherwise at WashU. And, because of the nature of the program, the Fellows end up spending a lot of time together, reflecting on their internship experiences, discussing big issues facing St. Louis, sharing delicious local meals, and exploring St. Louis!
At the Gephardt Institute, we work to equip students with the knowledge, skills, experience, and commitment for lifelong civic engagement, in St. Louis or wherever they may go. Through their full-time internship and Gephardt programming, St. Louis Fellows explore ways to be civically engaged students, community members, and professionals, and our hope is that they take what they learn and apply it to their future lives and careers.
Throughout the program, Fellows will engage with Gephardt staff, internship supervisors, guest speakers, and community members who are excited to share their experiences and expertise and to help Fellows discern potential pathways to achieve civic, academic, and professional pursuits. Fellows will also participate in a variety of skill-building workshops and facilitated activities during the spring trainings, overnight retreat, and summer seminars.
For questions about the St. Louis Fellows Program or the application process, please contact Sarah Nash, Community Engagement Manager, at srnash@wustl.edu
Application Process
To complete an application, please do the following:
- Submit your online application, including your resume and short essay responses, by Dec. 6, 2024 at 9 p.m. CST. (The application for Summer 2025 is now closed. The application for Summer 2026 will open in Fall 2025.)
We advise that you draft your short essay responses in our downloadable PDF Practice Application first. Then, copy and paste your responses from the Word document into the online form to avoid any potential technical issues. Gephardt also provides a fillable PDF to help you draft your application, but final responses must be submitted through the application form on our website. Please include all Washington University affiliations, including student organizations, scholarship programs, and work/internship commitments on your resume. Additionally, your resume should highlight any significant civic and community engagement experience.
- Ensure your recommender has completed the required recommendation form by Dec. 6, 2024 by 9 p.m. CST. Applicants should solicit one recommendation as part of your application. Your recommender cannot be a current undergraduate student. View sample request email >>
The recommender can be anyone who can speak to your engagement in a community setting, with a strong preference for either a WashU faculty/staff member or someone who is familiar with your interests, work, and involvement in the past year.
Information Sessions and Drop-In Hours
We encourage attending one or more of the following information sessions or drop-in hours. These sessions provide an opportunity to learn more about our programs, preview the application process, ask questions, and connect with Gephardt staff.
Information sessions and drop-in hours will be made available in-person and virtually. If you are not able to attend, please contact us with any questions.
Info Sessions
- Friday, Oct. 25 from 3 to 4 p.m. at Stix House
- Thursday, Nov. 14 from Noon to 1 p.m. on Zoom
Drop-In Hours
- Monday, Dec. 2 from 3 to 5 p.m. on Zoom
- Wednesday, Dec. 4, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Stix House
Campus Resources
In addition to information sessions and drop-in hours, applicants are encouraged to take advantage of WashU resources to support your application. The following offices offer one-on-one appointments, available to all WashU students:
| Resume & Interview Support | Essay Writing |
| Center for Career Engagement DUC 110 https://careers.wustl.edu/ | The Writing Center Mallinkrodt Center, Lower Level https://writingcenter.wustl.edu/ |