The Gephardt Institute supports your learning, engagement, and leadership in civic life, all in one place. Ready to begin? Learn about our programs and resources that will enable you to make an impact in St. Louis and beyond.
Fall 2023 Programming
Download the Undergraduate Student or Graduate Student PDF for a handy guide to Gephardt Institute Fall 2023 events and programs.
Our Civic Leadership Programs
Our programs provide powerful experiences that can help you explore how to align civic and community engagement with your own passions and skills. These cohort-based programs provide experiential education and civic leadership development.
Civic Scholars
Develop skills that will prepare you for future civic leadership and ethical community engagement. Civic Scholars is a two-year academic program that includes intensive coursework, immersive trips, leadership training, mentorship, and a substantial scholarship to support a summer civic project or internship. (For rising juniors)
St. Louis Fellows
Participate in a unique summer cohort experience. The St. Louis Fellows Program provides stipends and robust professional development experience for undergraduate students who secure unpaid internships in the St. Louis region. This program includes Goldman Fellows, Arts as Civic Engagement, WUpan, and Morris Fellows.
Events Series
Curious about civic issues and meeting other engaged citizens? Our weekly and recurring events are a great way to meet local leaders, gain skills, and practice civic discourse. All programs are open to undergraduate and graduate students at WashU, across schools and disciplines.
Civic Cafe
Students are invited to share a meal together and learn about civic topics from a community or campus expert. Graduate and undergraduate students of every discipline are invited to attend.
ChangeMaker Series
This series highlights a civic leader’s background, career path, and insights. We invite students to have a seat at the table with leaders from diverse sectors to connect, engage, and inspire, and inform your civic journey.
Food for Thought
A pop-up series to prompt casual conversations. Each event features a different topic, co-hosted by a campus partner or student group. Local snacks are always provided.
Engage STL
Looking to get out of the “WashU Bubble”? We partner with community organizations and campus partners to bring you deeper into the city of St. Louis, with valuable community context.
Engage Democracy
Engage Democracy is a university-wide initiative that educates the campus community about the processes and civic skills needed to participate in a thriving democracy.
WashU Votes
WashU Votes is a student organization that promotes voter engagement and education for undergraduates at WashU. Learn more about voter education resources or join the group.
Civic Action Week
CAW is a weeklong initiative to highlight civic engagement opportunities throughout Washington University—in relationship with local community, campus partners, and beyond.
This Civic Moment
In this podcast, we engage diverse local and regional civic and community leaders on what inspired them to engage this civic moment and better understand what is next for our civic future.
American Democracy Lab
Our podcast brings together experts from different fields to talk about an aspect of our American democracy and where different perspectives may converge.
Join The Team
The Gephardt Institute is supported by a team of undergraduate and graduate students focused on a range of programs serving campus and community partners.
Gephardt Institute Internship Program
We offer paid, part-time positions to undergraduate and graduate students from diverse academic backgrounds.
Gephardt Institute Fellowship
Each year, the Gephardt Institute partners with the Brown School to award one Gephardt Fellow with full tuition.
Resources
Do you have a project idea or service opportunity that you’d like to pursue? Learn about grants you can receive to advance a community-engaged initiative and student groups you can participate in as you explore interest areas.
Civic Change Guide
Moments of civic change can be hard to process. Follow the link below for our printable, nonpartisan guide to navigating major moments of transition in the civic landscape.
St. Louis Impact Fund
Receive funding and support for initiatives that cultivate community engagement. Opportunities range from $500 to $10,000.
Guiding Framework for Community Engagement
Concepts and practices to guide
WashU students, faculty, and staff interested in engaging with the community ethically and responsibly.
Are you a Graduate or Pre-Professional Student?
We can connect your professional experiences, academics, and personal commitments with meaningful field work and community engagement.
Discover programs and funding opportunities here.
Not sure where to start? Schedule an appointment with Student Engagement Specialist, Sophie Devincenti at sdevincenti@wustl.edu.