Community-Academic Scholars: Student Scholars

Become a Community-Academic Scholar

• Develop applied research skills for measuring and maximizing impact
• Build cultural and civic skills while becoming a more informed citizen
• Strengthen teamwork/collaboration skills by working with both campus and community partners
• Sharpen professional communication skills by developing a plan for updating faculty and community mentors on weekly progress
• Witness firsthand how your work makes a difference in the local community 

Meet the 2021 Community-Academic Scholars

Eligibility and preference

• Applicants must be undergraduate students in good standing at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (graduating seniors are not eligible to apply).
• Preference is given to students from underrepresented backgrounds, and to those whose background reflects the communities their project serves.

Program requirements

• Applicants are expected to be engaged full-time in their projects over the summer for 10 weeks.
• Students must create a communication plan for updating their faculty and community mentors on weekly progress.
• Students must create and present a poster with their summer work at the final awards ceremony.
• Students will attend a program orientation, a welcome event, and weekly coffee hours during the summer. A final awards ceremony will be held at the end of the summer to honor the scholars and their teams.

Coverage for expenses

• A $3,500 disbursement will be made to each successful applicant’s university account at the end of the spring semester.
• The purpose of the disbursement is to offset the cost of housing and/or other living expenses during the program.

Selecting a project

• Projects will address health or social justice in the community.
• Student applicants will have an opportunity to learn about and rank projects of interest when completing the application.
• The Community-Academic Scholars team will match each chosen scholar to the project that most aligns with their strengths and interests.

Application Process

The application period for the Community-Academic Scholars summer program typically opens mid-January.