Ellis Civic Fellowship
Background:
Robert Lee Ellis, a Seattle native, was killed in action in World War II. In 2007, James Ellis honored his brother Robert -- a person of high ethical standards and the willingness to help others -- with a gift to the University of Washington. This gift became the endowment to support the Robert Lee Ellis Civic Fellows program. The intention of the endowment and the Civic Fellows program is to support students who make a commitment to our community.
Description:
Robert Lee Ellis Civic Fellowships offer financial, academic and advising support to undergraduate students willing to make a commitment toward service, personal growth and community engagement throughout a 4-year experience with the University of Washington.
Ellis Civic Fellowships can be understood as a series of building blocks, beginning in the first year with a broad overview of the Seattle community, moving in to a service partnership with a community organization, developing deeper integration between each Civic Fellow’s academic work and service, and culminating with a community-based capstone project.
Every Ellis Civic Fellow will be supported with individual mentoring and a flexible leadership curriculum as they move towards graduating as an Ellis Civic Leader.
Deadline to apply: Monday, September 26th
Eligibility Requirements:
- Must have filed a FAFSA for the current academic year
- Must have financial need as determined by Financial Aid Office
- Must be committed to service and willing to make a four-year commitment as outlined in the expectations below
Application Instructions:
- Download the application form ( Microsoft Word)
- Email the application to engage@uw.edu
Purpose:
The purpose of the Ellis Civic Fellowships is to support students in making a commitment to our community with core objectives including serving in the community; learning about yourself, the community, and the intersection of your academic study and community service work; and developing skills and experience in leadership, followership, and empathy.
Level of support and commitment:
$2,000 for Years One & Two: Expectations include 20-40 hours of service with a community organization each quarter; Enrollment in a 2-credit Community-based Leadership course during both Winter and Spring Quarter; participation in events including the Spring Celebration of Service & Leadership.
Service Expectations:
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service project (aprx. 10 hours per year)
- Service with a selected community organization (aprx. 20 hours per quarter)
- Spring Celebration of Service & Leadership (aprx. 2 hours per year)
Advising Expectations:
- Carlson Center Welcome Orientation
- MLK Jr. Day of Service Orientation
- End of quarter advising meeting
$4,000 for Years Three & Four: Expectations to spend approximately 10 hours per week every quarter on the following: serving with a community organization of your choice; serving as a Teaching Assistant (TA) in one of the service-focused academic courses offered by the Carlson Center; mentoring other students; preparing for and implementing a final Capstone Service Project.
Expectations:
- Ellis Fellows will be expected to design a personal service-learning proposal and individual assessment plan with advice from a Carlson Center staff member.
- The individual assessment plan will demonstrate the student’s ability to understand and measure the impact of service and research on the community.
- The service-learning plan will include a community component and demonstrate a direct connection to the student’s academic study.
- Ellis Fellows will be expected to provide regular service proposal updates and evidence of progress.
- A community-focused capstone project (leadership or research focused) will complete the transition from Ellis Civic Fellow to Ellis Civic Leader.
Desired Qualifications:
Strong Applicants will be able to 1) express a clear commitment to service shown through past experiences, 2) express an interest in a particular social issue, and 3) express ideas about what you hope to gain through 4 years of support for serving the community as an Ellis Fellow.
