NC Civic Impact Fellowship

The NC Civic Impact Fellowship (NC-CIF) is an 18-month program that empowers outstanding civic-minded student leaders from campuses across North Carolina to develop an Impact Project that will have a lasting positive effect on their campus civic life. Fellows are nominated by their college/university President or Chancellor and campus mentors, based on their potential to excel in civic and community service leadership.

Each phase of the fellowship is designed to support the Fellow’s professional and personal skill development to enhance the outcomes of their Impact Project while strengthening their capacity as civic leaders. 2024 is the pilot year for the NC Civic Impact Fellowship.

Fellowship Components

  • Regular virtual meetings focused on professional and personal skill development
  • Design and implementation of a campus-based Impact Project to improve an aspect of civic life or civic culture on campus. 
  • Participation in civic leadership intensive, Citizen Redefined Camp
  • One-on-one leadership development with a campus mentor and NCCE staff
  • Connection to a statewide network of Civic Impact Fellows
  • Public recognition
  • Multiple opportunities to present at NCCE conferences and events

2025-26 Civic Impact Fellowship Nominations are Open!

Please see information below about the nomination process. 

Nomination Deadline Extended: December 1, 2024

Nominate a 2025-26 NC Civic Impact Fellow

2024-25 NC Civic Impact Fellows

Trinitee Smith, Elizabeth City State University

Project Title: Politics Unplugged: Bridging Education with Civic Power

Utilizing classroom engagement, interactive civic awareness and problem solving, and artistic activism, this project consists of a series of events and the overall goal is to instill in students the value of voting, make the connection between political decisions and their studies, and promote civic involvement using engaging and creative learning experiences.

Xypher Pino, Greensboro College

Project Title: Improving Civic Life by Empowering Students

This project aims to improve the overall civic life of Greensboro College by implementing programs that provide a platform for civically passionate students to engage with through the addition of a civic workshop to GCS 1100 (mandatory class for first-year students), the redesigning and reestablishment of a hunger and homelessness-themed community-wide civic project, and the creation of a civic leadership program for select students.

Osliany Mora-Morejon, High Point University

Project Title: Operation Bridging Impact

Osliany will collaborate with the HPU Bonner Leaders Program to deepen their impact with the annual Winter Care Kits service project hosted in collaboration with Continuum of Care for the Point in Time (PIT) Count. The kits will be redesigned to address the lack of resources included in the kits and improve their inclusivity. This project will also include the design and implementation of a training for student service leaders who will be engaging with homeless and impacted communities during the PIT. Students will learn how to serve safely, ethically, and professionally.

Indigo Lesser, UNC Asheville

Project Title: Neurodiversity at UNCA: Improving the College Experience for Neurodivergent Students

This project will focus on improving the UNCA experience for neurodivergent students by implementing community-focused, education-focused, and direct service-focused projects on campus. Project elements include establishing a Neurodivergent Student Union, add guidelines for supporting neurodivergent students into office standards of practice, facilitating community events, and potentially creating a sensory room on campus that will serve as a place for students to rest and regulate.

Magally Ortiz-Rojas, UNC Pembroke

Project Title: La Communidad

The purpose of the project is to help Spanish speaking families transition into college by providing resources and create a sense of belonging and community. The goal is that they will be able to better support their child and so that college students also are prepared to navigate higher ed. There is an emphasis on providing support for DACA students, students with undocumented parents, and first-generation students

Christopher Simmering, William Peace University

Project Title: Operation Agora

Operation Agora is a student-led initiative that aims to strengthen dialogue and civil discourse at WPU by providing a forum for students to discuss challenging yet relevant topics among their peers.Christopher, the lead organizer and facilitator for these dialogues, will collaborate with existing initiatives within the William Peace Honors College to expand the presence of and access to essential civil discussions among students. Multiple dialogues through Operation Agora will take place during the 2024-25 academic year. Additionally, Christopher and the Honors College will be partnering to develop a series of training videos to help make dialogue highly accessible for other departments, schools, or individuals. 

 

For questions about the NC Civic Impact Fellowship, contact Sam Delap (sdelap@ncengage.org).

Nomination Process

  • Nominations open the second week in August. 
  • Faculty or Staff member identifies a Civic Impact Fellow and a mentor, and completes an online nomination form. The nomination form requires a Letter of Support that is signed by the college/university President or Chancellor, as well as the student’s resume and headshot. 
  • Nominees formally accept nomination to the fellowship. Campuses formally agree to host the fellow. 
  • Cohort of fellows is publicly announced

Please note that the Community Impact Student Award now uses a separate nomination form. A student who is selected for the Community Impact Student Award receives preference for the fellowship. Receiving the Community Impact Student Award is not a requirement for a student to be nominated to the fellowship. 

Eligibility

All Fellows should meet the eligibility criteria below:

  • Sophomore or Junior (4-year institutions) or first year student (2-year institutions)
  • Demonstrated leadership with civic, community and/or service engagement on campus.
  • Capacity and commitment to developing, implementing, and leading an impactful civically-focused project that will produce tangible results on campus.
  • Outstanding ability to lead and inspire fellow students to engage

What students are a good fit for this fellowship?

This fellowship is designed for undergraduate students who have previous leadership experience and are interested in the process of designing and leading a project of their own. Many types of students can be successful in this fellowship. Here are some common traits that you should look for when selecting your campus’ fellow:

  • Students who either have a passion for a topic or idea affecting campus civic life that they are ready to take action on or students who are currently working on a project to improve campus civic life who are looking for extra support, funding, structure, or legitimacy for their project. 
  • Students who have the capacity and commitment to conduct research, attend regular virtual fellowship meetings, and carry out an independent project. Depending on the project, time commitment ranges from 1-5 hours per week.
  • Students are communicative, proactive, and comfortable working both independently and with a supportive cohort