Call for Applications: Futures Initiative Undergraduate Leadership and Democracy Fellows (Due June 10, 2019)

Call for Applications: Futures Initiative Undergraduate Leadership Fellows (Due June 1, 2018)

The Futures Initiative Leadership and Democracy Program provides up to thirty undergraduate students from any CUNY college with opportunities to develop leadership and peer mentoring skills. Students will receive a stipend for their contribution as well as support for transportation and cultural enrichment activities. They will participate in a variety of professional development workshops and opportunities designed to build community leadership skills and support success in school and beyond. We believe great leadership means supporting everyone’s success.

This year, the Futures Initiative is pleased to announce a partnership with the Promise and Perils of Democracy project supported by the Carnegie Corporation of New York. In addition to the focus on leadership and peer mentoring, the 2019-2020 fellowship program cohort will address questions of democracy and informed public engagement.

Students will receive a stipend for their contribution as well as support for transportation and cultural enrichment activities.They will participate in a variety of professional development workshops and opportunities designed to build community leadership skills and support success in school and beyond.

Apply here by June 10, 2019

This year’s program will combine a one-day summer institute with regular opportunities to meet, reflect, gain new skills, and join in intellectual discussions at the Graduate Center, while also helping to provide resources, advice, and support to fellow students throughout the academic year. Students gain a variety of skills that will be beneficial for many careers that require collaboration, learning with and from others, building trust, and striving toward shared and common goals, and contribution to a larger public good.

For a glimpse into last year’s program, visit https://futuresinitiative.org/mentors.

About the Futures Initiative

The Futures Initiative is a unique CUNY program that creates and inspires alternative modes of teaching and learning in order to promote equity, diversity, and social justice in higher education. Research shows that collaborative learning enables people to learn material even more deeply than more traditional teaching methods. It is also an excellent way to develop transferable skills such as collaboration, identifying needs and resources, learning with and from others, building trust, and striving toward shared goals—all of which will benefit students during their time at CUNY and beyond.

Application Deadline

You are invited to apply for this opportunity by completing this online application form by June 10, 2019. All CUNY undergraduate students are welcome to apply, and we especially welcome applications from students who have taken a course with a Futures Initiative-affiliated professor. Past participants who attended the undergraduate Leadership peer mentoring institute last summer are welcome to apply for a second term.

All CUNY undergraduate students are welcome to apply. In order to receive compensation, you must be able to provide the following documentation:

Immigration status
Social Security Number or Individual Taxpayer ID Number
If you are a U.S. citizen you must be able to provide your Social Security Number
If you are a United States Permanent Resident you must be able to provide a copy of your green card
If you are a Temporary Resident (Non-Resident Alien in the USA, Glacier candidate) you will need to provide copy of your passport bio Student ID Number

What We Expect From The 2019-2020 Fellows

Participate in the Undergraduate Leadership and Democracy Institute at the Graduate Center (August 14, 10am-5pm tentative date). Breakfast, lunch, and a round-trip MetroCard will be provided. You must attend all day in order to be eligible for the program.
Write and publish monthly blog posts, and comment on your peers’ posts (https://futuresinitiative.org/mentors/recent-post/) and (https://democracy.gc.cuny.edu/)
Participate in at least six of the following eight events:
Meetups at the Graduate Center (two per semester, dates TBA), where you will discuss waysyou can support your peers, address questions of democracy and informed public.
Take part in activities that foster mentorship and leadership skills, and talk with one another about your own studies and work-life balance.
Attend workshops and enrichment activities to be held in conjunction with the Humanities Alliance (two per semester, dates TBA).
When possible, participate in events in the University Worth Fighting For series. These events are designed to tie student-centered, engaged pedagogical practices to institutional change and social justice.
Attend a national conference entitled: “Putting the PhD To Work” hosted and sponsored by the Futures Initiative on May 1, 2020 at the Graduate Center.
Attend and participate in a special concluding event, possibly tied into one of the Proshansky democracy events in spring 2020.
Respond in a timely manner to emails and scheduling requests from Program Directors.
Participate in online discussions with Program Directors and the other Leadership Fellows using Slack.

Additional Incentives

Some participants will have the opportunity to present at conferences, including: The national conference entitled: “Putting the PhD To Work” and for participating on events in the University Worth Fighting For Series.

Additional support may be available for select students who go above and beyond the program’s requirements, for instance by presenting their work at the conferences and events above.

To Thank You For Participating

$100 stipend for participation in the summer Leadership Institute on August 14 (tentative date)
$400 for your continued participation in the activities above throughout AY 2019-2020, divided between fall and spring semesters.
Limited funding and additional support for select participants who engage in additional events.

Application Information

Selection will be based on your application responses. We will also contact the professor you list in your application as a reference, so please be sure to let your professor know if you are applying.

Apply here by June 10, 2019. Participants will be notified of their selection by early July.