The UC Berkeley deadline for the 2008-2009 Gardner Fellowship is Wednesday, February 27, 2008. Only completed applications received by the deadline will be considered.

You can download a pdf version of the application here: 2008-09 Application. (You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view this file.)

ELIGIBILITY

Seniors graduating from the University of California, Berkeley, and Stanford University during the 2007-2008 academic year are eligible and encouraged to apply for the John Gardner Fellowship.

The Fellowship welcomes applications from any major field of study and from a wide variety of service experiences; applicants only need to share a common commitment to the cause of public and voluntary sector service in the United States.

You must be a United States citizen at the time of your placement.

SELECTION PROCESS

Applicants must submit all of the following to the Program Administrator:

• One copy of the completed application form,
• A formal resume,
• An official academic transcript, and
• Three (3) letters of recommendation, at least one (1) of which must be from a faculty member who is familiar with the applicant's university-level work.

A selection committee then reviews each application and interviews a handful of finalists. Gardner Fellows are usually notified of their selection by the end of March.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Applicants are judged according to the following criteria:

• Demonstrated commitment to public service
• Record of academic accomplishment
• Maturity, personal integrity, and sense of responsibility
• Creativity, energy, and initiative
• Leadership potential: the ability to inspire others to action

OBLIGATIONS

Program staff assist the selected Fellows in designing an appropriate placement and finding a suitable mentor. Fellowships begin in September but applicants to the program should be available the spring and summer following selection to interview with prospective mentors and organizations. Gardner Fellows must also participate in three meetings over the course of their Fellowship year: an orientation session to be held during the late spring or summer at one of the two campuses, a mid-year meeting, and an evaluation meeting at the end of the Fellowship year. Fellows might also be asked to assist the Fellowship in future years by helping to recruiting applicants and mentors and by participating in information and training sessions.

Questions? Contact Mark Oleszek, Berkeley's Program Administrator, at:

The Institute of Governmental Studies
135 Moses Hall, #2370
Berkeley, CA 94702-2370
(510) 643-8533 / fax (510) 642-3020
Email:  oleszek@berkeley.edu

Stanford University also has information about the Fellowship at http://haas-fmp.stanford.edu/.

If you have questions or comments about this page, please e-mail the webmaster.