The Public Engagement Fellows Program for the Bachelor’s Program for Adults and Transfer Students reflects our commitment to educating civic-minded students. Public Engagement undergraduate fellows are provided with the opportunity to reflect on their
experiences outside the classroom, which encourages them to pursue public-facing projects, including activism, community organizing, and public programming.
The Public Engagement Fellows Undergraduate Program will place each fellow in one of our partner organizations to further their publicly engaged work. Fellows will also participate in joint cohort experiences throughout the period of the fellowship.
During the first year of the program, selected fellows participate in a unique and immersive fellowship experience at a partner organization. The fellowship has been designed specifically for Adult Bachelor’s Program Public Engagement Fellows who are
concurrently enrolled in classes. During the second year, fellows continue their work with a partner organization and are encouraged to develop and build out a publicly engaged project of their own, that is rooted in creative practice, intellectual
inquiry, and/or social justice, through the year-long Self-Directed Learning Program.
Amount
Fellows will receive funding support in the amount of $10,000 for participation in the two-year fellowship ($5,000 per year), in addition to any need and merit-based scholarships they may receive from their degree program.
Students are eligible for fellowship funding in combination with need and merit-based scholarships not to exceed the cost of tuition.
Benefits
Fellows participate in a cohort-based experience that includes a paid/funded fellowship placement opportunity, mentorship/networking opportunities, and a public engagement event series, including Vera List Center events,
the Self-Directed Learning Student Showcase, and the Executive Dean’s award ceremony which highlights publicly engaged work.
Requirements
The Public Engagement Fellowship comes with a placement component that students are required to complete as a condition of their Fellowship: 110 hours of publicly engaged work in Fall and Spring semesters with a partner organization. Additionally, fellows are required
to undertake the Self-Directed Learning Program. Other requirements are attendance at periodic fellowship cohort events during each of two academic years; interim and final updates about their
fellowship project; progress toward the bachelor's degree in which fellows are enrolled; and enrollment in at least six credits per semester.
| Semester | Requirements | Credits |
|---|
| 2nd—spring | 10 hour/week Fellowship Placement | 0 |
| 3rd—fall | Self-Directed Learning I: Fundamentals
10 hour/week Fellowship Placement | 2
0
|
| 4th—spring | Self-Directed Learning II: Reflections
Final Self-Directed Learning portfolio assessment | 1 1–4 |
| | | Total 4–7 |
Eligibility
To be selected for the Public Engagement Fellowship, students must be admitted to the Bachelor’s Program for Adults and Transfer Students in the Schools of Public Engagement and be committed to promoting positive change
through equity, inclusion, and social justice initiatives in partnership with local communities, government agencies, and organizations. Selected fellows must be able to attend in person their weekly placement with a partner organization and on-site
monthly events; this includes on-campus and hybrid students.
Priority consideration is given to:
- Individuals who identify as from or have experience working closely with underrepresented communities in higher education or other context
- Individuals who have faced challenges affecting their higher education access and/or progress, including socioeconomic barriers, personal or group identity, mobility or immigration status, challenges to health or well-being, and other experiences
Only new applicants for fall 2023 and beyond are eligible for the Public Engagement Fellowship.
Participating Bachelor's Programs
Participating Majors
How to Apply
The Public Engagement Fellowship Selection Committee will review applications on a rolling basis and will give priority to applications submitted before June 1. Decisions will be delivered to candidates at the end of
June if submitted by June 1 or four weeks after their submission if submitted after June 1.
Please note that although students can apply to all the fellowships offered by Schools of Public Engagement, applicants can only be awarded one Schools of Public Engagement fellowship.
The application process consists of the following steps:
- Submit a completed application to the Bachelor’s Program for Adult and Transfer Students at the Schools of Public Engagement and submit all required application materials by the priority deadline of June
1.
- Submit an application form. This form must be submitted once you have created an application account to apply to the Adult Bachelor’s
Program, since you will need to provide your nine-digit application reference number.
In the Public Engagement application form, you will be asked to submit your résumé and a document answering the following questions:
- What experiences (life, activism, internships, community engagement, work, travel, research) make you a strong candidate for the Public Engagement Fellowship? (300 words maximum)
- After an initial semester of coursework (fall 2023), fellows will enter into a two-semester (spring and fall 2024) fellowship placement of ten hours/week. The fellowship placement will be concurrent with additional coursework. This balance of fellowship
placement, coursework, and personal responsibilities requires advanced time management skills. Please discuss your capacity to fulfill the requirements of this fellowship. (200 words maximum)
- Fellows will be placed at Visual AIDS or the Brooklyn Museum, where they will focus on projects related to community engagement, arts education, archival work, and social practice. Both organizations actively promote community engagement through their
visual arts education and programming. Discuss your interest and/or experience in the arts, art education, social practice, visual arts, and/or public programming. Please review the information on the Brooklyn Museum and Visual AIDS websites. What do you hope to gain from a fellowship placement at one of these institutions? What do you feel makes you an exceptional
candidate for one of these positions? Please indicate interest in the Brooklyn Museum and/or Visual AIDS. Although you may be considered for both institutions, each fellow will be assigned to one of them. (300 words maximum)
Finalists may be invited to schedule an interview with the Public Engagement Fellowship selection committee and/or separately with the partner institution.