|
Program Overview
American colleges and universities enjoy a long tradition of service to society. The John Gardner Fellowship Program honors that tradition – and the remarkable contributions made by John Gardner himself – by encouraging excellent students to pursue careers in public service alongside distinguished social and political leaders.
John Gardner, an alumnus of the University of California at Berkeley and Stanford University, was a distinguished public servant and social innovator. As President Lyndon Johnson's Secretary for Health, Education and Welfare, Gardner successfully implemented a wide range of Great Society programs targeting the elimination of poverty and racial injustice. As the first full-time chairman of the National Urban Coalition, Gardner expanded educational opportunities for America's youth. As founder of Independent Sector, Gardner collaborated with the nation's charitable and philanthropic organizations to facilitate volunteering and civic engagement among citizens. As founder of Common Cause, Gardner spoke truth to power. And to inspire young people into public service, Gardner created both the White House Fellows Program and the John Gardner Public Service Fellowship.
Selection Process and Criteria
The John Gardner Fellowship selects six Fellows during the spring semester from among the graduating classes at UC Berkeley and Stanford University and provides each a $27,500 stipend. During the summer months following selection, Fellows travel to a handful of self-selected organizations to identify the one that offers the closest fit with their public service interests and ambitions. Equally important in this process is the selection of a mentor, a senior figure from within the organization who agrees to nurture the Fellow's professional growth and development over the course of their ten-month Fellowship. A mentoring relationship generally means that a Fellow enters an organization at a relatively high level, enjoys access to senior-level meetings and conferences, and travels alongside their mentor when appropriate. Perhaps most importantly, mentoring provides the Fellow with a crash course in experiential learning.
Past Placements
Past Fellows have worked at every level of government and with a wide variety of agencies, organizations, foundations, and non-profits. Recent placements include the United States Senate, the National Resources Defense Council, the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Children’s Defense Fund, National Public Radio, the United Nations, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the American Enterprise Institute. A complete list of past Fellows and their placements can be found by clicking on past placements.
Application Procedure
The deadline for 2009-2010 Gardner Fellowship applications is Wednesday, February 25, 2009. Applications are available in portable document format by clicking on the Application page. If questions arise during the application process, please contact the Program Administrator using the information below.
Contact Information
Mark J. Oleszek
Program Administrator
Institute of Governmental Studies
135 Moses Hall, #2370
Berkeley, CA 94720-2370
phone (510) 643-8533
fax (510) 642-3020
E-mail: oleszek@berkeley.edu
Funding
The John Gardner Fellowship was jointly established in 1985 by UC Berkeley and Stanford University, with initial funding from the Walter and Elise Haas Fund, the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the Educational Foundation of America, the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, the UC Berkeley Chancellor’s Millennium Fund, and the late Michael Walsh. Peter and Mimi Haas have provided continued support. Numerous other foundations, corporations and individual donors associated with both universities and the John Gardner Fellowship have also contributed.
Further Information
Stanford University also has information about the Gardner Fellowship at Haas Center for Public service website.
Gardner Fellows created an alumni association to promote the values exemplified by John Gardner and to encourage former Fellows to continue their involvement in public service. For information regarding the John Gardner Fellowship Association, please visit their website at http://www.jgfa.net.
|
