Community Engagement Summer Scholars
The Community Engagement Summer Scholars program provides highly motivated undergraduates the opportunity to immerse themselves in a community-based research or creative project under the direction of a faculty mentor.
Scholars spend 10 weeks (20-25 hours/week) during the summer in pursuit of their projects in partnership with a non-profit, governmental, community-based action research, or service-based corporate activity and simultaneously pursue academic reflection under the guidance of a UD faculty mentor. Preference is given to students working with a Delaware-based organization.
Students specifically interested in the arts (i.e., dancers, actors, visual artists, etc.) can immerse themselves in a self-guided project under the supervision of a faculty mentor, while considering the impact on the larger community.
The end product of scholars projects might be a written document (technical report, feature article, academic paper, journal, etc.) or a presentation.
Scholars typically earn three credits in preparation for the program, following their summer project, or some combination of the two. During the summer, scholars are enrolled in a zero credit P/F Sustaining Course and attend a weekly seminar led by CEI staff.
Scholars receive a stipend of $4000.
Student Stories
Learn more about the projects Summer Scholars have undertaken in the past.
Samantha Jennings
Summer Scholar designs an informal history education programs for Long Island teens
Bri Egan, Cate Boettger, and Talia Jennings
Landscape architecture students work with the Coastal Resilience Design Studio on a plan for Milton
Ana Ramirez-Santos
Associate in Arts Program student explores the history of South Bethany Beach
Anastasia Burns and Cynthia Brosky
Art & Design students aim to reinvigorate a pillar of the Delaware disability community
Community Engagement Summer Fellows
The Community Engagement Summer Fellows program provides partial support for students who want to work part-time on a project and combine it with other summer activities such as coursework and/or employment.
The end product of this project might be a written document (technical report, feature article, academic paper, journal, etc.) or a presentation. Fellow projects vary in length of time commitment and funding.
During the summer, fellows are enrolled in a zero credit P/F Sustaining Course and are invited to attend a weekly seminar led by CEI staff.
Award stipends range from $500-$3000.
Advisement
Contact Leann Moore, Associate Director, Community Engagement Initiative at lmoore@udel.edu.
Application Information
Projects may be conducted in any major. Strong proposals will connect to the faculty mentor’s teaching or research. Proposals will explain the goals of the project and the questions studied through a combination of community engagement and research. It should also include a preliminary bibliography and timeline.
Each application should include a one-page essay (with name on the top) indicating how this project connects to the applicant’s academic and career goals.
Applications for Summer 2025 are now closed.
Team Applications
Students, with support of their faculty mentor, may apply as 2–3 person teams. To do so each team member should complete an application.
Team members may use the same proposal while including a one-page essay (with name on the top) indicating how this project connects to the their own academic and career goals.
Faculty should forward to CEI one recommendation letter per team.