People, Politics, and Places Fellowship
About the Fellowship
This People, Politics, and Places Fellowship is predicated on the reality that America has become increasingly polarized geopolitically. While Stanford makes significant efforts to foster civil discourse on campus, the Stanford community does not represent the full geographic and political diversity within the United States. In particular, opportunities to bridge the politically divergent urban-rural divide are relatively rare. The Center for Revitalizing American Institutions (RAI) seeks to address this shortcoming by piloting a new fellowship program designed to facilitate and support meaningful engagement with rural communities, particularly among students who have had little exposure to rural life.
The overarching goals of this fellowship are to a) develop an understanding of American institutions in a rural context; b) expand understanding of domestic rural life and c) develop the capacity for engaging constructively when encountering differences among people, politics, and places.
Students will participate in preparatory workshops during the spring 2025 quarter. During the summer, fellows will be embedded within and serve as interns with organizations operating in rural and remote places.
Student internships will take place in one of three rural locations, in Alaska, California, or Wisconsin. Links to each of the participating organizations and internship descriptions are provided below.
Requirements
- Selected fellows are expected to begin their internship following the completion of spring quarter classes and no later than July 7, 2025.
- All fellows are required to work with their community partners 35 to 40 hours per week for at least eight consecutive weeks.
- Fellows are expected to work on site at their host organization location.
- Fellows will have a designated full-time professional staff member on site as their supervisor and mentor.
- Tom Schnaubelt will serve as an on-campus mentor.
Other fellowship commitments include the following:
Spring Quarter
- Help plan and participate in a series of preparatory workshops.
- Design a personal learning plan and share it with the community partner supervisor and mentor and the on-campus mentor, including at least one question about rural life and institutions you hope to explore during your internship.
Summer
- Submit a brief preliminary report.
- Submit a final report outlining lessons learned about rural institutions.
- Complete a program evaluation as requested by the Center for Revitalizing American Institutions.
Fall Quarter
- Meet with on-campus mentor (Tom Schnaubelt) at least once.
- Participate in outreach activities to share the experience and help publicize the program (should the pilot be extended).
Eligibility Requirements
Applicants must be:
- enrolled at Stanford for the winter and spring quarters of the 2024–25 academic year;
- be in good academic standing and not on suspension; and
- enrolled as a first-year, sophomore, or junior (from any academic discipline), or as a senior who will be returning for a co-term program during the following academic year. Graduate students are also eligible to apply.
Students who have begun their co-term programs are not eligible to apply. Priority will be given to students who have limited experience in rural communities.
Desired Skills, Experiences, and Qualities
- Limited experience with rural life but an openness and desire to learn from experiences in rural communities.
- Willingness to intentionally engage constructively with significant and historically contested questions of civic life.
- Commitment to demonstrating values that reflect diversity, equity, and inclusion.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
- Strong communications skills, both written and verbal.
- Self-motivated and self-directed; ability to “keep at it” without constant supervision.
Selection Process
Applications are due by Wednesday, February 5, 2025, at 11:59 pm (PST). This fellowship is intended for individuals whose application, references, and interview demonstrate:
- academic, personal, and career goals in alignment with the experiences of the fellowship;
- an expressed interest or involvement in understanding rural institutions and civic life; and
- strong potential to achieve the fellowship program’s goals of a) developing an understanding of American institutions in a rural context; b) expanding understanding of domestic rural life and c) developing the capacity for engaging constructively when encountering differences among people, politics, and places.
Complete applications will be screened by the RAI team and representatives from community partners, and finalists will be interviewed. Staff of the host organizations will make final selections, with the intention to award fellowships prior to Spring Break. Applicants will receive an email offer from the RAI team and must respond promptly (within 48 hours) via email, or the offer will be rescinded. After accepting a fellowship offer, the student should promptly notify all other Stanford and non-Stanford programs to which they have applied in order to withdraw their candidacy.
Amount: A base stipend of $8,000 will be awarded to each fellow to cover summer transportation costs and living expenses. Financial aid and supplemental funding may be available to students who qualify.
Application
The application form is available here. Applications are due by Wednesday, February 5, 2025, at 11:59 pm (PST).
Summer 2025 Internship Partners and Activities
Tidelines Institute (Inian Islands/Gustavus, Alaska)
Timeframe: Flexible; as soon as possible after spring quarter ends, for at least 8 weeks
Student fellows at Tidelines Institute will be deeply involved in all aspects of running a remote coastal field school dedicated to experiential education, ecological research, and environmental leadership. This may include helping to run field-based courses, developing our scientific research program, website design, infrastructure development on-site, media and outreach, splitting firewood, helping cook meals for the Tidelines community, garden work, and much more. This is an excellent opportunity for Stanford students who are interested in the intersection of environmental studies, education, and climate action, as well as those who are interested in experiencing the lifeways of rural Alaska.
Fellows will primarily be based at Tidelines Institute’s extremely remote Inian Islands Campus, on an island in the Alaskan wilderness with no roads or neighbors. Accommodations will be rustic – likely bunking in a yurt with no plumbing or power, using a shared sauna and composting outhouse.
Ready for an adventure?
TomKat Ranch (Pescadero, California)
Timeframe: June 15, 2025 to September 15, 2025 (Flexible)
Through its internship programs, TomKat Ranch strives to teach how conservation and agricultural production can work hand-in-hand to create healthy food, happy animals, vibrant landscapes, resilient communities, and successful farmers and ranchers. It is our goal that interns completing the TomKat Regenerative Ranching and Fork to Farm Internship leave with meaningful exposure to a wide range of complementary fields in regenerative ranching and food systems. Through working closely with skilled practitioners, accomplished professionals, and dynamic thinkers, we hope interns build a comprehensive and actionable knowledge base in the following areas:
- Animal Husbandry: Through close work with staff and community partners, interns will be educated in the value and practice of animal agriculture and the desired outcomes TomKat Ranch has regarding animals and land health. Interns will leave the internship with experience in observing the creation and implementation of grazing plans, low-stress handling techniques, animal health and nutrition, using and maintaining low-cost, mobile infrastructure like electric fencing, slaughtering practices and infrastructure, and collecting animal data.
- Conservation and Land Health: Interns will demonstrate their understanding through participating in land-management decisions, interacting with, and answering questions for ranch visitors, and collecting data using the methods they’ve learned.
- Business Operations: Interns will gain knowledge and experience in operating a regenerative ranch business that directly markets to consumers. Through working with LeftCoast GrassFed and potentially neighboring farms, both Regenerative Ranching and Fork to Farm interns will learn about the business of regenerative agriculture. Interns will be educated in processing, USDA regulations, direct marketing, sales through farmers’ markets and aggregators, maintaining customer relationships with on-farm tours, social media, and tracking data.
Thoreau College (Viroqua, Wisconsin)
Timeframe: June 23-August 15 (students welcome to arrive earlier)
Participants in the 2025 Cardinal Quarter program at Thoreau College will participate in the 4-week long Driftless Field School July 7-August 1, which will offer a unique immersion into the ecology, history, culture, and agriculture of the Driftless Bioregion of southwestern Wisconsin. Before and after the Field School, program participants will have opportunities to help with a variety of other interesting activities and events to engage with local community members. These include:
- Regenerative Farming and Gardening: Participate in summer agricultural work on properties cultivated by Thoreau College, including growing and harvesting organic produce, care for sheep, chickens, and bigs, application of biodynamic soil preparations, rotational pasture management, vineyard and orchard care, hay making, and more. For interested participants, there will also be opportunities to visit and help out at local farms practicing permaculture, biodynamics, organic dairy with sheep and cattle, and fruit growing.
- Viroqua Shakespeare Festival: On the weekend of June 26-29, Thoreau College will stage the 4th Annual Viroqua Shakespeare Festival, which will include performances of The Tempest presented by local and visiting professional actors, as well as a sonnet competition and other events. Fellows may take on a small performing role in the production and support the event through construction of the outdoor stage, welcoming attendees, supporting the performers and directors, making and selling refreshments, and more.
- Driftless Folk School Community Celebration: On Saturday, July 5, Thoreau College and its community education wing, the [Driftless Folk School will present the 3rd Annual Community Celebration], an afternoon Open House event featuring craft demonstrations and mini workshops offered by Folk School instructors, live music, food vendors, and tours of the site, Compostella Farm, which is also the location of most Thoreau College farming activities and future home of the Thoreau College/Driftless Folk School main campus, currently in the design phases. Fellows will set up a large circus tent on the site, support craft demonstrators and performers, welcome attendees, give site tours, and help with cleanup.
