Frequently Asked Questions

Undergraduates and graduate students are eligible for the Engaged Summer Program. 

Yes. Graduating seniors are eligible to participate in the program.

No. You do not need to be eligible for federal work-study to apply.
 

Engaged Summer participants must commit to working with their partner site for the duration of the 10 weeks and must serve up to 30 hours per week at their placement site. Fellows are required to complete any trainings required by their community partner site. Fellows will also be required to participate in orientation training and bi-weekly cohort meetings led by CECiL. Cohort meetings will include workshops and activities that will enhance their understanding of social justice issues connected to issues in the community. 

Students interested in applying to the Engaged Summer Program should first read through each of the partner sites descriptions. These descriptions will give you information about each site and what you will be doing during your work schedule. After reading through the descriptions, complete the application and select three organizations that you are interested in working at during the summer.

If your application is selected, you will be invited to the interview day and will be able to select times to meet representatives of the three organizations you selected. After the interviews, each partner will select the student who they would like to be matched with for the program.

All applicants will be notified of their acceptance to the program and their community placements by May 1st

Engaged Summer Fellows are required to serve up to 30 hours at their community placement sites per week during the 10-week program and attend bi-weekly cohort meetings. Participants will also participate in a day-long orientation workshop before their placement. 

Students will start working at their placement during the week of June 3rd and will complete their placements during the week of August 9th. Students accepted in the program must also participate in the Student Orientation on May 22nd. 
 

Often, students who are low-income or working class must make very real decisions about whether to get a job or participate in experiential learning programs on campus. As part of our commitment to anti-racist community engagement, we want to make sure that all students can participate in our programs. So, your service is with the community partner site, but you are earning pay through Mason.

Engaged Summer Fellows will receive a stipend of $5,000 paid over 4 installments during the program. 

Engaged Summer Fellows will be paid on a bi-weekly basis through GMU’s payroll system and will receive a direct deposit to their bank account.
 

Engaged Summer Fellows are required to work up to 30 hours a week per semester at their community placement sites.  Fellows will also be paid for any training and workshops as part of the cohort meetings, so some weeks you may work up to 30 hours.
 

Maybe. The Engaged Summer program ends August 9th. However, if you enjoy working at your community partner site, you may continue to volunteer with them, but you will not be paid as part of the Engaged Fellow Program.

The CECiL office runs a separate academic year program for students who might be interested in working with community organizations over the school year. We will begin accepting applications for that program in April. 
 

Sure! Engaged Summer Fellows may apply to continue their participation in the program throughout their time at Mason. Returning Fellows can select the same partner site to work with or select a different project and partner site. Returning Engaged Summer Fellows can also apply to the Civic Fellows academic year program.
 

While there are no GPA requirements, students must be in good academic standing at George Mason to be an Engaged Summer Program Fellow. This program should enhance your experience at Mason, not hinder it, so if your academics are at risk, we believe that you should focus on your academics. Our programs wwill be around the next year.

Yes, the summer commitment allows our Summer Fellows an opportunity to develop a deep understanding of their partner site, the project and the community that they will be working with. We hope that over the course of the year, community partners and summer fellows develop a deep relationship that will ensure that students and partners get the most out of their placement.
 

Summer Fellows and their partner sites will be evaluated during the summer to identify any issues or ways that we can improve the experiences of students and community partners. We’ll work closely with both the student and the partner to make sure that everyone’s needs are met. 
 

Summer Fellows will work directly with their community partner sites to coordinate their hours during the summer and should communicate directly with their site supervisor if those hours change or need to be changed. At the beginning of the summer students will receive a schedule of the bi-weekly cohort meetings. If students cannot attend one of the meetings, students should contact the Associate Director for Student Programs.

All hours will be recorded by the student and signed off by the community partner supervisor.