WashU Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement

No-excuse absentee voting for registered voters has begun in Missouri! Voters can visit the St. Louis County Board of Elections or the St. Louis Board of Election Commissioners websites to find sample ballots, polling locations and additional information. Voters registered in St. Louis County also may vote on Election Day, Nov. 5, at the Athletic Complex on the Danforth Campus. For the first time, the Medical Campus also will host a polling place, at the McDonnell Medical Sciences Building, 4565 McKinley Ave., for voters registered in the city. Polls are open 6 a.m.-7 p.m. on Election Day. Nonpartisan election information can be found at vote411.org or ballotpedia.org for most U.S. elections. For additional information, contact washuvotes@wustl.edu or Otto Brown, Gephardt Institute civic engagement manager, at otto@wustl.edu. Share the story:

As part of the St. Louis Fellows Program, Harlem Taylor ‘27 and Daniel Niu ’26 worked at Cortex Innovation District this summer, supporting the organization’s mission to “accelerate inclusive economic growth in St. Louis.” This summer, Harlem Taylor, a Mosbacher Fellow in the 2024 St. Louis Fellows cohort, focused on developing Cortex’s employee skill-building curriculum. Along with developing training for Cortex’s monthly staff training sessions, he also worked on a data compilation project to track the demographics of participants in Cortex’s training programs. He said that his work with Cortex made him more interested in joining the nonprofit world at some point in his career. Read the full story: https://buff.ly/3Yn7CQh (Cortex social graphic created by Public Affairs Manager Tameka Jones.) Do you know a WashU undergraduate student who interested in spending next summer learning from and contributing to St. Louis? The Gephardt Institute's St. Louis Fellows program is accepting applications until Dec. 6! As a St. Louis Fellow, they can expand their civic skills, intern with a local nonprofit or government organization, connect and build community with other passionate students across disciplines, and participate in valuable experiential learning. Head over to https://buff.ly/48butTp to learn more and apply before the Dec. 6 deadline.

Do you know a WashU undergraduate student who interested in spending next summer learning from and contributing to St. Louis? The Gephardt Institute's St. Louis Fellows program is accepting applications until Dec. 6! As a St. Louis Fellow, they can expand their civic skills, intern with a local nonprofit or government organization, connect and build community with other passionate students across disciplines, and participate in valuable experiential learning. Head over to https://buff.ly/48butTp to learn more and apply before the Dec. 6 deadline.

Last month, the Gephardt Institute hosted investigative journalist Michael Isikoff AB ’74, a WashU alumnus and Visiting Civic Fellow. An award-winning journalist and bestselling author who worked as an investigative reporter for The Washington Post, Newsweek, NBC News and Yahoo News, Isikoff is also the author of four New York Times best-selling books.  “I have to say, I was truly impressed by the WashU students I had the opportunity to talk to,” he said, after taking part in panels and roundtables, and striking up many conversations as he revisited his alma mater. “They were very involved, engaged, interested, and curious about our political process, about the state of our democracy, about the upcoming election. That really leapt out at me.”  Read the story about his visit:

We need more people to choose careers that tackle our big societal challenges. The St. Louis Fellows Program supported me on that path as an undergraduate student at Washington University in St. Louis by giving me exposure to the civic landscape through a paid non-profit internship. This year, I was able to pay it forward and be an employer partner at LaunchCode for Dung Tran. The work he did during his internship for us was invaluable and he also learned a lot along the way. Shout out to Dung's supervisors and mentors for creating a great summer experience: Courtney Schlueter, CFRE Kevin Kickham, CFRE and Allison Sissom. Read more about the program and my/Dung's journey below! Donate or have a St. Louis Fellow join your organization next summer.

The St. Louis Fellows Program at Washington University is not a career development program, though it connects students to summer internships at local nonprofit and civic organizations. It is not a history course, though it dives deep into the political, economic and cultural forces that shape the St. Louis region. Nor is it a financial aid initiative, though fellows receive a large stipend to live and learn in St. Louis. At its heart, the St. Louis Fellows Program is a commitment to the region. “The focus of the St. Louis Fellows Program has always been capacity building for our regional organizations so they can accomplish mission-critical work,” says Stephanie Kurtzman, the Peter G. Sortino executive director of the Gephardt Institute. “As the Fellows Program has grown each year, it’s been amazing to see what a community of talented, trained and energetic students can achieve in a summer.” Read the story in Washington Magazine: https://buff.ly/3zONoXH 📷 : Scott Allen/WashU

Do you know a Washington University in St. Louis undergraduate student who is passionate about social causes and change work? Let them know that Gephardt Institute St. Louis Fellows applications are now open! As a St. Louis Fellow, they can expand their civic skills, intern with a local nonprofit or government organization, connect and build community with other passionate students across disciplines, and participate in valuable experiential learning. Head over to https://buff.ly/48butTp to learn more and apply before the Dec. 6 deadline.

On Thursday, Sept. 5 at 5:30 p.m., 210 students gathered on Brookings Quad, ready to enjoy thought-provoking conversation with those around them and delicious food from The Vine Mediterranean Café at Washington University’s second annual Longest Table.   The Longest Table is a civic dialogue event featuring a long table—in this case, two rows of 19 tables each—and guided discussion. This year, it was guided by the theme, “Finding Connection Through Divided Times.”   “Dialogue events like this one feel particularly important during an election year, because of how it serves as a reminder of the deeply personal and local effects that political action has,” said Lawrence Hapeman ‘25.  Read the story:

Last month, I had the honor of presenting my summer work with the St. Louis County Department of Planning at the WashU Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement annual St. Louis Fellows Showcase. It was a fantastic opportunity to connect with my peers, supervisors, and Gephardt Institute community partners. While this moment was exhilarating, it was also bittersweet as my St. Louis Fellows experience draws to a close. This program has truly transformed my perspective, allowing me to engage deeply with the St. Louis region and emphasizing the vital role of civic and community engagement. I am grateful for the experiences and relationships that I have built throughout this journey.

Staff and faculty joined the Gephardt Institute in running “Ready, Set, Vote,” a university-wide event spotlighting National Voter Registration Day, Tuesday, Sept. 17, to encourage voting and spread the word on voter registration deadlines and requirements.   National Voter Registration Day is an annual holiday to remind eligible voters to register, check local voting requirements, and make a plan to cast their ballots. This year, with a major election just weeks away, WashU staff and faculty were eager to help.   “I was blown away by the response from our colleagues around the university,” said Otto Brown, Civic Engagement Manager for the Gephardt Institute. “We were so visible to so much of the WashU community, and the day was a big success for voter registration and education.”   At the end of the day, Brown said that 233 WashU students, faculty and staff registered to vote, while 148 others checked their voter registration, all through WashU’s TurboVote site. Another 250 people used TurboVote as a result of an election-focused email to the student body from Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Dr. Anna Gonzalez. In total, 1,491 people have signed-up to register to vote, check their registration or get election reminders via WashU’s TurboVote site since July 1 this year, and many more have registered directly with their state’s website.  Read the story: