Anita Clair Fellman Service Learning Scholarship

The Women's and Gender Studies Department is accepting applications for the 2024 Anita Clair Fellman Service Learning scholarship. This scholarship intends to support graduate and undergraduate students who are conducting original community-based research or a service-learning initiative that meets the goals of the department's scholar-activist guiding principles.

Service learning projects draw from classroom content and apply these perspectives within communities, at the local, national and global levels. In Women's and Gender Studies, this practice is motivated by a deep-rooted connection to the central link between scholarship and activism. We seek to offer financial support for students who wish to take Women's and Gender Studies theories, methods and perspectives into applied settings, either locally or globally. Students may wish to conduct research for a community-based organization, develop a website campaign, raise funds for a cause or contribute a collection of life stories that serve a community. Film, artistic and creative projects are welcome as valuable service-learning initiatives. The goal of this scholarship is to provide students with resources that will make a difference in the realization of larger projects beyond the classroom.

Scholarship applications will be reviewed using two criteria:

1. the quality of academic performance in Women's and Gender Studies (including GPA);
2. the originality, feasibility and organization of the proposed community-based research/service-learning project. Projects submitted for this scholarship must be carried out during the one-year course of this scholarship, from Summer 2024-Spring 2025.

Projects already underway will also be considered for funding support. All scholarship recipients will be mentored by a faculty member throughout the scholarship term. At the end of the scholarship period, recipients will be required to write a final report on the outcomes of their project and its impact within the community. Recipients of the scholarship will be expected to present their project during the Spring semester at a university-community event or a conference.

Scholarship Requirements

1. Women's and Gender Studies major for undergraduates; graduate certificate enrollment for M.A. and Ph.D. students
2. 3.0 GPA

Students interested in applying for this scholarship are asked to write a 2-page application that includes the following:

1. An overview of your history and area of interest in Women's and Gender Studies
2. Description of the community-based research project
3. An explanation of how the project is service-learning in orientation
4. Population to be served
5. Demonstration of the project's link to the field of Women's and Gender Studies
6. Any relevant additional information

Applicants must turn in a package that includes the project description, a resume and a transcript. All applications will be due on May 5th at 5:00pm via email to the Women's and Gender Studies main email address.

Please email your proposal to the Women's and Gender Studies Department at wgs@odu.edu.

A faculty committee will review applications for this scholarship.