Fellowship Overview

• Experience: The opportunity to work for eight weeks in an organization focused on equity and excellence in education, such as a policy institute, school district, community-based organization, or philanthropic institution. 

• Stipend: A living expense stipend of $5,000 for undergraduate and graduate students. Financial assistance is available if your summer workplan requires relocation.   

• 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).  

• Training: Fellows will participate in a three-day orientation, (May14-16, 2025) during which they learn about research in the field, the importance of educational equity, strategies for making change, and interact with SELI alumni and SEF staff. *Attendance in full is required  

• Fellowship Placement– (May 19 to July 11, 2025): Fellows will be supervised by seasoned leaders as they work on challenging research, education policy, and nonprofit program-related projects. *Full-time 40 hours a week, in-person attendance required 

• Opportunities to Share and Reflect on the Experience: During the SELI Closing meeting (July 16-18, 2025), fellows will come together to share lessons learned, reflect, and brainstorm on how to continue making change as part of a network of emerging leaders in the sector. *Attendance in full is required 

• Alumni Community: Upon successful completion of the summer fellowship, SELI fellows are welcomed into a robust community of over 300 SELI alumni. 

• Must be between 20 and 35 years old. 

• Must be currently enrolled in a four-year college or graduate program. 

• Must have completed 60 credit hours (the equivalent of junior status or above in an undergraduate program) or be currently enrolled in a master’s, doctoral, or professional program at a college or university. No minimum GPA is required. 

• 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 February 3, 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 Davis with SEF at adavis@southerneducation.org to request an extension. 

• Must only work on assigned projects from the placement site and SEF during the fellowship. Students do not design their projects for this experiential learning opportunity but are assigned projects by their placement site supervisor. 

• Must be willing to relocate to another city or town for the summer, and refrain from any coursework, test preparation, or other jobs or internships during the summer program. Fellows must attend in full the Orientation and Closing Meeting and be physically present at their placement site for office hours and for the duration of the program. 

2025 Application Process and Directions 

SELI staff will review applications and select the most promising and qualified students for the fellowship opportunity based on education advocacy-related campus involvement, community service, and the quality of application materials submitted. To apply, please complete the following by February 3, 2025 (5pm ET): 

1. Online Application: Complete and submit an online application (available December 2nd): Link also shown here: (https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/F5GNBKF). When completed the online application you will be asked to include the materials: 

• Resume: Please submit a resume that includes information about the following: education, employment/internships, community service, honors, awards & achievements.  

• Transcript: Please submit all college or university transcripts (unofficial or official copies accepted). No minimum GPA is required. Please note we cannot access transcripts on web-based portals, they must be electronically as an attachment. 

• Short Essay Response: Please submit a written response of no more than 3 pages (single spaced) addressing each of the following (roughly 150 words): 

• What is special, unique, or nuanced about education in the South?  

• Define equity/inequity and identify a particular disparity that exists within Southern education that you believe strongly needs to be solved? What education policy or practice would you propose to mitigate the disparity you’ve identified? 

• What are your career goals? How do you think participating in the Southern Education Leadership Initiative will help you build the necessary skills/experience to achieve those goals? 

1. Letters of Recommendation: Please have 1 or 2 letter(s) of recommendation submitted on your behalf. Letters are acceptable from any person (past supervisor, professor, mentor, advisor etc.) whom you feel can speak best to your interests and experience. To ensure your recommenders can submit their letters, please share the designated link to the recommendation form with them directly. All recommendations must be submitted before the application deadline to complete your submission. 

1. Students must submit a completed online application form and all required materials to the Southern Education Foundation no later than February 3, 2025 (5pm ET).  

1. Please submit all your application materials (other than reference letters if they are being sent by your recommenders) as PDFs to the online application. 

1. Share the recommendation form link with your recommenders to upload their letters on your behalf. All recommendations must be submitted by the application deadline to complete your application. 

Once all your application materials have been received, an SEF staff person will email you to let you know your application is complete. Successful applicants will receive instructions to schedule a phone interview.