Applying for the Gardner Fellowship
2010-11 APPLICATION DEADLINE
The UC Berkeley deadline for the 2010-11 Gardner Fellowship is Wednesday, February 24, 2010. Only completed applications received by the deadline will be considered.
You may download an application here (in PDF format): 2010-11 Application. (You will need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed in order to view this file.)
ELIGIBILITY
Seniors graduating from the University of California, Berkeley, and Stanford University during the 2009-2010 academic year are eligible and encouraged to apply for the John Gardner Fellowship.
The Fellowship welcomes applications from any major field of study and from a wide variety of service experiences; applicants only need to share a common commitment to the cause of public and voluntary sector service in the United States.
You must be a United States citizen at the time of your placement.
SELECTION PROCESS
Applicants must submit all of the following to the Program Administrator:
- One copy of the completed application form,
- A formal resume,
- An official academic transcript, and
- Three (3) letters of recommendation, at least one (1) of which must be from a faculty member who is familiar with the applicant's university-level work.
A selection committee then reviews each application and interviews a handful of finalists. Gardner Fellows are usually notified of their selection by the end of March.
SELECTION CRITERIA
Applicants are judged according to the following criteria:
- Demonstrated commitment to public service
- Record of academic accomplishment
- Maturity, personal integrity, and sense of responsibility
- Creativity, energy, and initiative
- Leadership potential: the ability to inspire others to action
OBLIGATIONS
Program staff assist the selected Fellows in designing an appropriate placement and finding a suitable mentor. Fellowships begin in September but applicants to the program should be available the spring and summer following selection to interview with prospective mentors and organizations. Gardner Fellows must also participate in three meetings over the course of their Fellowship year: an orientation session to be held during the late spring or summer at one of the two campuses, a mid-year meeting, and an evaluation meeting at the end of the Fellowship year. Fellows might also be asked to assist the Fellowship in future years by helping to recruiting applicants and mentors and by participating in information and training sessions.
Questions? Contact UC Berkeley's Gardner Fellowship Program Administrator:
Peter C. Hanson
Program Administrator
Institute of Governmental Studies
131 Moses Hall, #2370
Berkeley, CA 94720-2370
phone (510) 643-9402
fax (510) 642-3020
E-mail: phanson@berkeley.edu
Stanford University also has information about and application forms for the Gardner Fellowship at the Haas Center for Public Service website.
