Overview and Application Instructions
Fellowship Overview: Building on SEF’s century-long legacy of educating Southern leaders, the SELIxCPRL Summer Fellowship is launching its inaugural year to offer continued leadership development exclusively for SELI alumni. In partnership with the Center for Public Research and Leadership (CPRL), this fellowship furthers SELI’s commitment to advancing the goals of the Brown v. Board of Education decision. Recognizing the ongoing work needed to ensure all children, regardless of race or class, receive a high-quality education, the SELIxCPRL Summer Fellowship offers exceptional SELI alumni the opportunity to continue:
- Developing as leaders in education and civil rights
- Engaging with important community stakeholders
- Acquiring practical job skills
- Learning about contemporary education issues in the South
- Applying the knowledge and leadership skills acquired during the SELI fellowship in a new context
SELIxCPRL Summer Associates serve as strategy consultants for client organizations driving structural changes to improve public education, particularly for underserved populations. Associates will define the client’s project, develop background knowledge, design strategies for due diligence, and gather qualitative and/or quantitative data. They will collaborate with the CPRL team to draft findings, recommendations, proposals, and reports, iterating with the client, and presenting final deliverables to client leaders. Past interns have worked with public school systems, state departments of education, education-focused philanthropies, charter management organizations, and other education nonprofits across the U.S.
*Please note that there are remote and in-person placement sites. These are determined based on client projects available.*
What is the Center for Public Research and Leadership (CPRL)? The Center for Public Research and Leadership (CPRL) at Columbia University is an interdisciplinary initiative dedicated to improving education and public sector organizations. It provides graduate students with hands-on consulting experience alongside academic training in leadership, equity, and organizational improvement. Students collaborate on real-world projects with public agencies, nonprofits, and school systems to address critical challenges. CPRL focuses on systemic change, equity, and innovation in public education and social services, preparing future leaders with the skills and experience needed to drive impactful reforms in these sectors.
As participants in the SELIxCPRL Summer Fellowship, Summer Associates will receive:
- Experience: The opportunity to work for eight to ten weeks in an organization focused on equity and excellence in education, such as a public-school system, state department of education, education- focused philanthropy, charter-management organization, and other education-focused nonprofit across the US with a focus on Southern education.
- Stipend: Summer Associates are compensated hourly for their work at a rate of $25 hours/day.
- Travel Expenses: Airfare/car mileage expenses associated with traveling between home, Orientation, and Closing meetings in Atlanta, and the summer placement site (assistance also provided by SEF in making travel arrangements).
- Fellowship Placement: Fellows will be supervised by seasoned leaders from the CPRL staff as they work on challenging research, education policy, and nonprofit program-related projects.
Eligibility and Other Requirements:
- Must be a SELI alumnus who has successfully completed the full fellowship.
- Must be currently enrolled in a graduate program. Preference will be given to alumni currently attending or who have attended an HBCU.
- All majors are accepted, but you must have a demonstrated interest in education equity and/or social justice.
- Must have excellent interpersonal, writing, and critical thinking skills, with flexibility to respond well to diverse people, settings, and tasks.
- Deadline for the submission of a complete application is January 31, 2025, at 5 PM ET. Please see the following pages for more details on required materials and instructions for submitting them. Deadline extensions may be granted on a case-by-case basis. Please contact Amber C. Davis with SEF at adavis@southerneducation.org to request an extension.
- Must only work on assigned projects from the placement site, SEF, and CPRL during the fellowship. Students do not design their projects for this experiential learning opportunity but are assigned projects by their placement site supervisor.
- There is flexibility regarding relocation. Remote, hybrid and in-person summer work opportunities are possible, depending on projects that are available.