What do Community-Engaged Fellows do?
Advancing Community Engagement at DU
Fellows serve as ambassadors of community engagement within their units as well as across campus by supporting the work of CCESL including attending and supporting CCESL events, tabling to raise awareness of CCESL, support Scholar recruitment, and giving presentations to departments/units, student organizations, and classes.
Mentorship
Each Fellow mentors a cohort of CCESL Student Scholars, providing guidance and facilitating critical reflection in action-planning, relationship development, ePortfolio creation, and topics specific to Scholars’ community engagement projects. Each fellow is matched with CCESL Student Scholars based on shared research interests, personal and professional goals in social justice, and/or community-engaged endeavor.
Community-Engaged, Collaborative Work
Fellows develop and implement a community-engaged project, with at least one community partner, aligned with their personal, professional, and academic development goals. Fellows may come into the program with a project idea or may develop an idea early in the Fall Quarter. Community-engaged projects include scholarship (e.g. as part of their thesis/dissertation research) as well as other creative, collaborative work.
Fellowship & Peer Learning
Fellowship – including peer learning and support – is a core benefit and responsibility of CCESL Fellows. Fellows actively participate in weekly professional and personal development hosted by CCESL Staff for hands-on workshops and peer support. Workshop topics include but are not limited to youth/adult partnerships, power/privilege/oppression, community-engaged methods, and theories of the public good in contemporary American higher education.
Reflection
Fellows engage in ongoing reflection and support the reflective practice of the Scholars they mentor. All CCESL students, including Fellows, create a critical reflection ePortfolio to curate artifacts, document and assess their learning, and make connections between their work and their field of study, professional identity, etc.
Additional Details
Fellows receive access to project funds, opportunities to participate in ongoing community-engaged research efforts, professional development, mentorship, and access to a network of peers who are using community engagement in their scholarly pursuits. They are paid an hourly wage of $20.00/hour for 10 hours/week during the academic year.
Fellows must be able to commit 10 hours a week to the program. That commitment includes a standing 90-minute weekly team meeting and an individual bi-weekly 30 minute check-in. Fellows are asked to spend at least 4 hours a week in the CCESL office and/or at CCESL-sponsored events. Exceptions may be granted on a case-by-case basis.