Programs for College Students

Urban Fellows Program

Students from Rochester and from Rochester-area colleges are encouraged to apply for paid summer fellowships sponsored by University of Rochester and Leadership Rochester. Stipends are available to fund these ten-week summer fellowships in the Rochester Community. This program is made possible through grants from the Rochester Area Community Foundation and the Kauffman Foundation.

The Urban Fellows program emphasizes teaching the value of civic engagement to young college aged students through their direct involvement and study of local government as well as promoting trust and tolerance among the diverse people recruited to the project. The program continues to build resources and capacity to train area college students for involvement in the community on a deeper and more meaningful level. Over the five years of the program the students have represented all eight area colleges and the Rochester natives have represented Alfred, Howard, Southern California, Harvard, Delaware, Brandeis, Georgetown, Brown, Russell Sage, Wells, Ithaca, Vassar, Mt. Holyoke, and Cornell.

The components of the program include:

Summer Fellowships - Students will be placed in a 4-day a week paid fellowship in agencies located in the City of Rochester. Leadership Rochester will seek placements in fields that include health care, education, public safety, women's issues, economic development, youth, faith-based activity, and housing. While student interest will be considered, placements will be based on the needs of the community in both profit and nonprofit settings. Projects that previous fellows have undertaken include business recruitment and marketing for neighborhood commercial development; working on neighborhood issues with a City Councilperson; a study of end of life issues at an inner-city health facility; development and delivery of services for runaway and homeless teens; an arts program at a juvenile residential facility; and research regarding health care needs and the disparities in African American communities.

Urban Issues Workshops - Students will work 4 days at their fellowship site in the City, and will attend daylong seminars mid-week designed to allow Fellows to learn about history, politics, demographics, and the sociology of urban systems in the area. Seminars are headed by University of Rochester faculty along with visiting lecturers. Each workshop day will have an experiential component that consists of off site visits, conversations with community leaders, and group discussions regarding the strengths and challenges facing the Rochester area.

Community/Cultural Based Activities - Students will be invited and encouraged to participate in the cultural events and activities of the City, including neighborhood festivals, neighborhood association meetings, and other recreational and cultural events. Many of these gatherings will include weekend and evening participation. Some events will be mandatory.

End of Summer Symposium - Students will develop a paper based on their summer research and experiences and present their work at the end of the program. They will prepare their presentations with supervision from staff or faculty. All community and college participants will be invited for this end of the year celebration and presentations.

Applications for Summer 2007 will be available in February 2007.