The Center for Civic Engagement (CCE) is excited to announce its new Civic Engagement Fellowship program. The pilot of the fellowship program is launching now, with hopes to continue the initiative for years to come.
Through the pilot, two faculty/staff fellows will be selected: an Electoral Engagement Fellow and a Civic & Digital Literacy Fellow. Current undergraduate students can also apply for the Student Civic Engagement Fellowship.
“This has been an idea since the inception of the center, and we are excited to make it a reality,” said Dr. Katy Strzepek, director of CCE. “These fellowships are the next step in advancing and institutionalizing civic engagement at Illinois State.”
The Electoral Engagement Fellow will be an integral part of the campus’ 2022 election efforts and will work to make political learning an organic part of the student experience. This person will devise strategies and initiatives to engage academic departments in election efforts including department and faculty level outreach, curriculum design and support, and resource development as well as encouraging faculty to incorporate broader political engagement into courses.
The Civic & Digital Literacy Fellow will explore the concept of “truth decay” and will enhance students’ civic competence by improving their critical thinking, digital literacy, and civic inquiry skills. This person will conduct research, design curriculum, and support faculty and staff to incorporate civic and digital literacy into courses and campus programs.
Both positions are open to any Illinois State employee classified as Tenured or Tenure Track Faculty, Non-tenure Track Faculty, Administrative Professional Exempt, or Civil Service Exempt. A $5,000 stipend will be awarded (for the duration of the fellowship, January 1, 2022, to December 31, 2022) and divided and distributed as monthly additional pay.
A fellowship opportunity is also available for an undergraduate student. The Student Civic Engagement Fellow will support the work of the Civic & Digital Literacy Fellow through research, curriculum design, and resource development as well as work on projects that improve student critical thinking, digital literacy, and civic inquiry skills such as the concept of “truth decay.”
The student fellow will be compensated at an hourly wage of $15 per hour for 5–8 hours a week, not to exceed $1,500. The Student Fellowship will run from January 10 to May 7, 2022, with the possibility to continue in the summer and Fall 2022 semester.
More information and applications can be found on the CCE website. Applications are due November 2, 2021.
