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 Institute.
As part of this position, Campbell is lead instructor and program manager for the Civic Scholars Program, which prepares students for lifelong civic and community engagement through coursework, leadership training, a Civic Summer, and more. He also manages a range of civic education and dialogue programs, and leads experiential learning and place-based immersions in the St. Louis community.
“Moving into this role, I was excited to contribute to the growth of a new generation of students who will hopefully enter into the world more civically minded, humble, and well-equipped to face the challenges that we have,” said Campbell.
“Since I’ve been here, I’ve been really excited and impressed by the students that I’m working with. They give me hope.”
As part of his role leading the Civic Scholars Program, Campbell co-teaches the courses that the students take throughout their junior and senior years. He also assists students with designing and implementing their Civic Summers, during which they receive a stipend from the Gephardt Institute to support an internship or community partnership with nonprofit or government organization anywhere across the globe.
Although Campbell is now fully dedicated to a career in civic engagement, this wasn’t always the path he thought he was going to follow.
“I always wanted to go into social work,” said Campbell. Prior to coming to work at Gephardt, he worked in diversity, equity, and inclusion training and consultation. “Now, however, I recognize that social work is very closely related to civic engagement, which is a chance to hone in on where the problem is, and try to be part of the solution.”
Campbell’s desire to focus on social work and his current work with civic engagement came from the experiences he had with a supportive and close-knit community as a kid.
“There was a woman across the street who always made sure that I had the right jacket on when I was leaving, and who made sure that I left in time for school. There were men in the neighborhood who took me under their wing. These people helped to raise me.”
“All of those things—that support—taught me that my job is to give back.”
Campbell’s role at the Gephardt Institute isn’t his first timing revisiting the university he grew up so close to. He graduated from Webster University with a degree in sociology in 1995, and then returned to get his Master of Social Work degree from WashU’s Brown School.
“When I went to grad school here, I didn’t want to leave,” Campbell joked. “It’s beautiful, and everybody is here to learn. This idea of learning is in the air.”
As a St. Louis native, he recognizes that WashU is one of the anchor institutions in the region.
“It’s also a place of privilege, which has its benefits and challenges,” Campbell said. “It is a place that looks to St. Louis as a resource. I am really excited about the Chancellor’s initiative of ‘in St. Louis, for St. Louis, and with St. Louis.’ This push for WashU to become a resource for St. Louis as well.”
“The work we’re doing at Gephardt is a great example of this,” Campbell continued. “We’re putting students into the community, and giving service to the St. Louis community at no direct cost to that community. And that’s what WashU should be doing: giving back to St. Louis.”
“For students wanting to get involved in civic engagement, just come on over to Stix House,” said Campbell. “Come and try to get engaged, and you never know what might come of it. I’ve found Gephardt to be really open and encouraging. Projects have been developed here just because there are students and staff who have wanted them to happen.”