WashU Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement

Have you been meaning to nominate someone for a Gerry and Bob Virgil Ethic of Service Award? This weekend is your last chance! Honor someone who inspires you with their passion for St. Louis community and service to our region, by submitting a nomination today. Any member of the WashU community, from undergrads to faculty, alumni to professional students and staff are eligible for this accolade. Awardees will be announced and celebrated in spring of 2024, at a special reception at Stix House. Learn more and submit your nomination by Nov. 24 at 11:59 p.m., at https://buff.ly/3UOevcA! #ethicofservice #eos2025 #instlforstl #washu #awardceremony #nominate #ilovestlouis #communityengagement #civicengagement #civicresponsibility #socialchange #makeanimpact

#ICYMI, the deadline is extended for proposals for the 2025 Summer Public Design Workshop from WashU Sam Fox School! The Office of Socially Engaged Practice invites St. Louis community organizations, neighborhood groups, and nonprofits to submit ideas for a collaborative design project. Learn more and apply today on the Sam Fox School website: https://lnkd.in/g94_KjKv #InSTLforSTL

Dung Tran '27 used his St. Louis Fellows summer to work a full-time internship at LaunchCode, where he says it provided him with insights into the inner workings of a start-up nonprofit working in the community. "The St. Louis Fellows Program was an incredible experience to be able to start my professional career in public service. In addition to the learnings at my internship, I received so many different skills, ideas, and points of view from the curriculum," said Dung. Do you know a WashU undergraduate student who interested in spending next summer learning from and contributing to St. Louis? The Gephardt Institute's St. Louis Fellows program is accepting applications until Dec. 6! As a St. Louis Fellow, they can expand their civic skills, intern with a local nonprofit or government organization, connect and build community with other passionate students across disciplines, and participate in valuable experiential learning. Head over to https://buff.ly/48butTp to learn more and apply before the Dec. 6 deadline. Are you a local nonprofit or civic organization interested in hosting a St. Louis Fellow next summer? Learn more and complete our request for internship proposals at https://buff.ly/3AwMLCm

Washington University in St. Louis has been recognized as one of the Most Engaged Campuses for College Student Voting in 2024 by ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge! We are proud to promote nonpartisan civic engagement on our campus and will continue our efforts to increase student voter turnout. Since Jan. 1, 2024, 3,415 people used the WashU TurboVote portal; 2,386 sought to register to vote through it, while another 1,217 checked their voter registration. Countless others were already registered to vote or registered through their state’s procedures.

Our founder and namesake, Congressman Dick Gephardt, features on this panel hosted by Issue One, a D.C.-based leading cross-partisan political reform nonprofit. Congressman Gephardt and fellows panelists Alix Fraser, Liana Keesing, and Nick Penniman, each with expertise in technology reform, will discuss how a second Trump administration will shape democratic priorities and explore realistic policy solutions that they believe is achievable in the next four years.

Today at 11:00 a.m. CT, we are partnering with Campus Compact to host a webinar on The Longest Table, a civic dialogue event that features a long table and guided discussion. The program brings together people with diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and interests to share a meal and build relationships that help us work toward a shared vision for the future. In this webinar, learn more about how this model was implemented here at Washington University in St. Louis, with over 200 students, faculty, and staff coming together to kick off our weekly civic dialogue and learning events and find connection amid?a divisive election season to discuss questions related to the following themes: ?? Connecting and Sharing Perspectives ?? Exploring National Politics, Elections and the Issues at Stake ?? Fostering a Healthy & Inclusive Campus Culture Join us to hear more about the impact of the program at WashU and how you can leverage this model to contribute to a climate of civil dialogue on your campus. Link to webinar: https://lnkd.in/g7R7wJDC

It's not just a funded internship! The St. Louis Fellows Program is a unique opportunity for WashU undergraduates to dedicate a summer to St. Louis, learning more about the history, culture, politics, challenges, and opportunities in the region. "I want to share the things that I've learned this summer as a St. Louis Fellow. I don't want to keep St. Louis to myself", said Mia Phutrakul '25. "I want to share with others the way that I fell in love with it—by being more comfortable, exploring more of the region, and building more meaningful connections." Do you know a WashU undergraduate student who interested in spending next summer learning from and contributing to St. Louis? The Gephardt Institute's St. Louis Fellows program is accepting applications until Dec. 6! As a St. Louis Fellow, they can expand their civic skills, intern with a local nonprofit or government organization, connect and build community with other passionate students across disciplines, and participate in valuable experiential learning. Head over to https://buff.ly/48butTp to learn more and apply before the Dec. 6 deadline. Are you a local nonprofit or civic organization interested in hosting a St. Louis Fellow next summer? Learn more and complete our request for internship proposals at https://buff.ly/3AwMLCm

We are excited to celebrate the?grand opening of the new WashU Community Engagement Office at the Delmar DivINe. The office brings WashU into the community, creating a welcoming space to meet, collaborate, and connect with the university. Anchor teams include the Office of the Chancellor’s St. Louis Initiatives team, the Center for Community Health Partnership & Research, and the St. Louis Confluence Collaborative for Community-Engaged Research, Teaching, and Practice. WashU In St. Louis For St. Louis The grand opening will be held on Dec. 18 from 3:30–5:30 p.m. at the Delmar DivINe (5501 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, Missouri 63112) with remarks beginning at 4 p.m. RSVP to the event here:

When you think of a passion for St. Louis community and service to our region, who comes to mind? Express your gratitude for all they do by nominating them for the Gerry and Bob Virgil Ethic of Service Awards today! Any member of the WashU community—undergrads, graduate/professional students, faculty, alumni, and volunteers too— are eligible for this accolade. Awardees will be announced and celebrated in spring of 2024, at a special reception at Stix House. Learn more and submit your nomination by Nov. 24 at https://buff.ly/3UOevcA! #ethicofservice?#eos2025?#instlforstl?#washu?#awardceremony?#nominate?#ilovestlouis?#communityengagement?#civicengagement?#civicresponsibility?#socialchange?#makeanimpact

In my roles as the Vice President of the Association of Black Students and the Vice President of The Alpha Eta Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated I recently had the honor to facilitate the "We Shall Overcome: Voter Education and Civic Engagement Seminar.” This was a joint-event in collaboration with WashU Votes, The WashU Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement and The WashU Political Science Department. This event was a perfect way to synergize between the 2024 ABS theme "Educate.Elevate" and one of Alpha Phi Alpha's most impactful National Programs "A Voteless People Is A Hopeless People." This event consisted of four parts: 1. A History of Voter Suppression in America Post-Reconstruction to 2024 2. Voter Engagement at WashU and beyond 3. A Statistical Analysis of Black Voter Turnout and Political Ambition 4. Election Day 2024: The Saint Louis Perspective Students left with: a greater understanding of the legal implications behind section 4b and section 5 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, ways to increase their civic engagement and get involved in future elections (poll working/early and absentee voting methods), the role of descriptive representation and racial group consciousness on Black voter participation, the importance in running for office, and the stakes of the general election in Saint Louis/Eastern Missouri (ballot measures). I would like to extend a great thank you to The WashU Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement for allowing this event to be apart of their 2024 Engage Democracy Series, Dr. Michael Strawbridge, PhD and Dr. Mathew Hayes for their Political Science expertise and WashU Votes for their voter resources. I look forward to continuing to utilize my academic focus in political science to help educate people on these important topics.