Civic Engagement Fellowship Program

Mission

The mission of the Barnard College Civic Engagement Fellowship Program is to expand the College’s civic engagement and community service endeavors, promote civic engagement awareness among the student body, and foster student leadership.

Program Overview

The New York City Civic Engagement Program (“NYCCEP”) at Barnard College will select three to five rising Sophomores or Juniors in the beginning of each spring semester to participate in the Civic Engagement Fellowship Program.  Civic Engagement Fellows will be expected to:

1. Promote civic engagement in the Barnard community through outreach to the student body, including presentations about civic engagement-related opportunities to student groups.
2. Lead at least two campus-wide community service initiatives through the Barnard Reach Out Program each semester.
3. Foster and develop relationships between Barnard College and community based organizations in New York City, with a focus on organizations in the Morningside Heights and West Harlem area.
4. Assist in the facilitation of NYCCEP initiatives, such as the Barnard Reach Out and Extended Barnard Reach Out programs, community service fairs, networking events, speaker events, etc.
5. Serve as mentors and resources to first-year, transfer, and visiting international students who are interested in New York City civic engagement issue.
6. Propose recommendations for civic engagement programs at the College.

The fellowship appointment will typically last for two academic semesters.  Fellows will be paid a stipend of $500 per semester.

Eligibility

Civic Engagement Fellows are rising Barnard College Sophomores or Juniors who have demonstrated a commitment to community service and civic engagement programs or activities.  First-Years who participated in Extended Barnard Reach Out are also eligible to apply.  Visiting students at Barnard are not eligible for this program.

Fall 2012 Civic Engagement Fellows

Meet the Fall 2012 Civic Engagement Fellows:

Weyu Hodge ('13) (sth2114@barnard.edu): Weyu Hodge is a senior majoring in Africana Studies with a minor in Race in Ethnic Studies.  In the future, she is interested in serving the disadvantaged minority communities in the United States and around the world through educational initiatives.  She is currently an active member of the African Diaspora Literary Society and has previously taught English for Community Impact.  She is excited about getting Barnard College students more involved in the local community by reaching out to them in community service events.

Adair Kleinpeter-Ross ('14) (amk2208@barnard.edu): Adair Kleinpeter-Ross is a junior planning to double major in Art History (with a concentration in the visual arts) and human rights, which a minor in French. In addition to working with Civic Engagement Fellows, she is a mentor for the LGBT tree of the Columbia Mentoring Initiative, an active member of Q (Barnard's only group for LGBTQ students and their allies), and is launching a chapter of UN Women on Barnard's campus. She is also a facilitator of FemSex, a peer-facilitated seminar that address topics related to female sexuality, and is a Centennial Scholar. Adair is excited to be able to work to make community service a more integral part of the Barnard experience.

Zina Model ('13) (zm2151@barnard.edu): Zina Model is a Senior majoring in Political Science, minoring in Spanish and following the pre-medical studies course track.  She loves to travel, dance, picnic, nap and explore New York City beyond the Morningside Heights bubble.  On campus she is also a Barnard Speaking Fellow, Treasurer of the Club Ski Team and the Campus Coordinator for Teach For America.  Her service interests include working with students through tutoring and mentoring programs as well as hospital volunteer work.  As part of NYCCEP, she hopes to expand civic engagement and get more students involved in community service!

Murrill Oakes ('13) (mio2107@barnard.edu): Murrill Oakes is a senior majoring in Architecture, with a minor in Dance.  Last semester she studied abroad at the University of Melbourne in Australia. She has achieved Dean’s List each semester while simultaneously volunteering in a variety of service activities such as FeelGood Columbia University, a student group dedicated to ending world hunger by supporting The Hunger Project, and Peace by P.E.A.C.E., a student group teaching conflict resolution in local schools and homeless shelters.  Other campus activities include her involvement in CoLab, a performing arts collective, as well as her participation in the Columbia University Dance Marathon.  When she returns home to North Carolina, she continues a service commitment she began in high school by volunteering with the Allegro Foundation, an organization devoted to the physically and mentally disabled.  Other achievements include the Presidential Gold Service Award and the Girl Scout Gold Award.  Murrill’s passions off campus fortify her love for the performing arts.  She has been dancing since age two and playing the orchestral bass and bass guitar since fifth grade.