People, Politics, and Places Fellowship

America has grown increasingly geopolitically polarized, and opportunities to bridge this divide remain limited. 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: rural Americans make up 20% of the population, yet only about 5% of Stanford undergraduates come from these areas. The Center for Revitalizing American Institutions (RAI) seeks to expand exposure to, and engagement with, rural life through a year-long People, Politics, and Places fellowship. The Fellowship invites students to engage deeply with rural communities and to explore and confront the growing separation between urban and rural America.

Students will benefit from a cohort environment, thematic research focus/project guided by a mentor, receiving priority placement with summer research/internships (with partner organizations), and a capstone event sharing their learning with the Stanford community. The overarching goals of the fellowship are to: 

• Develop an understanding of domestic rural life and American institutions in a rural context
• Strengthen a capacity for engaging constructively when encountering differences among people, politics, and places
• Further Stanford’s exposure to and engagement with domestic rural communities.  

A stipend of $500 per quarter (winter, spring, and fall) will be awarded to each participating fellow. Fellows who apply for and are awarded summer internships with our community partners (see below) will be provided additional funds to cover summer transportation costs, living expenses, and program participation costs (this varies by internship site).

Winter/Spring Quarter

• Monthly workshop to discuss articles and research related to domestic rural life (e.g., education, health, environment, culture, economics, etc.).
• Design an individual project plan (a research or community engagement project).

Summer

• Will have the opportunity to participate in funded internships with partners in Alaska, California, Montana, and Wisconsin.
• Execute a research or community engagement project developed during the winter/spring quarter.

Fall Quarter

• Complete a collaborative research or community engagement project and help organize a public event to share insights with the Stanford community.
• Conduct a program evaluation and provide feedback to improve the fellowship program for future cohorts.
• Participate in outreach activities to share the experience and help publicize the program.

Requirements

• Enrolled and in residence at Stanford during winter and spring quarters of the 2025-26 academic year, and planning to be on the Stanford campus in fall 2026. 
• In good academic standing and not on suspension.
• Undergraduate students: Enrolled first-year, sophomore, or junior from any discipline, or seniors returning for a co-term program during the following academic year. 
• Graduate students: With at least two years of remaining residence on campus.

Desired Skills and Dispositions

• Openness to Learning: Demonstrates curiosity and a genuine desire to learn from experiences in rural communities.
• Civic Engagement: Willingness to engage thoughtfully and constructively with significant—and sometimes historically contested—questions of civic life.
• Respect and Humility: Commitment to treating others with respect, embodying cultural humility, and practicing active listening, especially in unfamiliar settings.
• Analytical and Problem-Solving Skills: Ability to analyze complex issues and develop practical, thoughtful solutions.
• Communication Skills: Strong written and verbal communication abilities.
• Self-Motivation: Demonstrates initiative, persistence, and the ability to work independently without constant supervision.

Due Date: Submit this application form by Sunday, January 4 @11:59 PM

Finalists will be interviewed in mid-January and we hope to award fellowships by the end of January.

Screening by the RAI team and representatives from community partners will select individuals whose application, references, and interview demonstrate:

• academic, personal, and career goals in alignment with the experiences of the fellowship;
• evidence of the desired skills and qualities listed above;
• an expressed interest or involvement in understanding rural institutions and civic life; and
• strong potential to achieve the fellowship program’s goals.

Chosen 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. 

For any additional questions related to the fellowship, please email thomas.schnaubelt@stanford.edu.

Tidelines Institute (Inian Islands/Gustavus, Alaska)
Student fellows at Tidelines Institute are deeply involved in all aspects of running a remote coastal field school dedicated to experiential education, ecological research, and environmental leadership. This includes 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 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 are primarily based at Tidelines Institute’s extremely remote Inian Islands Campus, on an island in the Alaskan wilderness with no roads or neighbors. Accommodations are rustic – likely bunking in a yurt with no plumbing or power, using a shared sauna and composting outhouse.

Thoreau College (Viroqua, Wisconsin)
Fellows at Thoreau College participate in the month-long Driftless Field School, which offers 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 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, supporting the Viroqua Shakespeare Festival, and hosting an annual Driftless Folk School Community Celebration. Fellows will also have opportunities to interact with local farmers, elected officials, and various community leaders.

TomKat Ranch Education Foundation (Pescadero, California)

Located in the beautiful coastal hills of Pescadero, California, our immersive program offers hands-on experience in regenerative ranching, grass-fed beef sales and advocacy, scientific monitoring, and holistic land management.  Summer interns will be working at the forefront of food systems transformation and land stewardship. Fellows will contribute to specific projects such as the Community Food Hub, Livable Pescadero (local community members working on housing, water, infrastructure solutions), and Community Grazing Solutions (a collaboration with local landowners to develop a community grazing plan to reduce fire risk).

University of Montana (Missoula, Montana)

Fellows will spend their first two weeks participating in the Stanford-University of Montana Summer Civics Institute, a residential civics program for high-school students from rural areas throughout Montana. They will spend the rest of the summer working at one of our many partner institutions in Western Montana, a beautiful, mountainous stretch of land that runs from Glacier National Park in the north to Yellowstone National Park in the south. While specifics may vary depending on student interest and availability, work placements will be in the general fields of civic engagement and conservation and will focus on the important work of building cross-ideological alliances (between, for example, ranchers, hunters, anglers, government agencies, and environmental activists) to conserve and enhance natural resources and the rural way of life.

For the first two weeks, housing will be provided on the University of Montana campus in Missoula. After that, housing options will vary depending on work placements. Due to the nature of the work involved, students must have a valid driver’s license, and some familiarity with civic education (through, for example, Citizenship in the 21st Century or other classes offered by the Stanford Civics Initiative) is preferred.