About the Program

About the Program

The Baltimore Collegetown Fellowship program connects students across campuses and with their communities to make a better Baltimore. Designed for students who have a passion for community engagement and want to be civic-minded leaders, it starts with fall semester social entrepreneurship and leadership course (3 academic credits) and is followed by programming and support throughout the year. Students learn to be innovative and discover how to apply their skills and passions to our city.

Program History
Baltimore Collegetown's history of civic engagement

In 2010, leaders from across the Baltimore Collegetown Network came together to create a program that would connect students across campuses with the Baltimore community and build the next generation of civic leaders. For nine years, Collegetown partnered with LeaderShape, Inc. to offer a session of the Institute for students who participated in our year-long civic leadership experience. This partnership created a strong foundation and impacted the lives of over 500 students.

Driven by our mission to create the next generation of civic leaders for greater Baltimore and to provide an innovative experience for students, we met with stakeholders and current students to develop a new vision for the program. A strategic planning process which began in 2017 helped us redesign the program into the Baltimore Collegetown Fellowship Program. The new program will feature a social entrepreneurship and leadership course students will take in the fall semester, followed by additional support throughout a full academic year.

Benefits of a civic leadership program
- Develop skills of the next generation of Baltimore citizens
- Teach students how to apply their skills and passions to the Baltimore community
- Connect community engagement and leadership together in one program
- Use a collaborative approach to offer more to students and the community
Goals of the program
- Utilize the Baltimore Student Exchange Program to offer a shared academic experience for students across the network
- Increase student connectivity between campuses
- Develop students as civic-minded leaders
- Focus efforts of multiple campuses on urban issues to strengthen communities
- Engage students in city and campus life
- Retain students in the area
- Share resources between campuses
- Develop a national model for collaboration and university-community engagement
How it Works
How it Works

This year-long program includes a fall semester course (3-credits), follow-up retreats in the spring semester, and graduation in mid-April with alumni engagement opportunities.

Apply today!

The Program:
- Fall Semester 2021
  - Orientation - Saturday, August 28
  - Fall Semester course
    - Social Entrepreneurship and Leadership course (3-credits)
    - Wednesdays, 6:15 - 9 pm. Begins September 1 and ends December 8. No class the week of Thanksgiving.
    - Features guest lecturers and coaches from area campuses and the Baltimore region
    - Download the syllabus!
- Spring 2022
  - Retreat on Saturday, February 5
  - Retreat on Saturday, April 2
  - Community Projects
    - Continued from course in Fall semester
    - Plan and execute a community-based project with a nonprofit organization
- Graduation Ceremony: Fri. April 22, 2022
  - Marks graduation from the Collegetown Fellowship Program
Ongoing Support
- Campus liaison
- Fellowship coaches
- Collegetown staff
- Website, Facebook Group
- Community liaisons
- Alumni board
Who is it For?
Who is it For?

Collegetown Fellowship Program is a program for students with demonstrated passion for leadership and community engagement and a desire to know Baltimore. Here are a few ways that Collegetown targets, recruits, and selects students for this program:
- Sophomores, juniors, and seniors from all Baltimore Collegetown Network member institutions. First-year students at Johns Hopkins University may also participate.
- Graduate students may participate with special permission from program advisor.
- Passion for community engagement and Baltimore
- An interest in being a civic-minded leader on campus and off
- Students will be selected to represent a diverse mix of race, gender & interests
What Students Study

What Students Study

Participants in Collegetown Fellowship program study a broad spectrum of majors, minors, and professional programs. This program is an opportunity to link academic interests with current, real-world events and issues in Baltimore city.

Students will work with community organizations to develop projects to address identified issues using social entrepreneurship and leadership. Projects will address look to address complex issues that span various areas of focus including education, healthcare, healthy families, arts and culture, and community development.

For examples of how students have connected their academic interests to their visions, please read some of our Student Profiles.
What it Costs

What it Costs

Expenses for the Baltimore Collegetown Fellowship Program are shared by Collegetown, member institutions, and community partners. The cost to students is tuition to enroll in the course (home institution rate). Baltimore Collegetown covers the cost of field trips, textbooks, and any other course-related expenses. Additional programming costs are paid for by participating campuses.

Staff support, marketing support, and planning funds are provided by the Baltimore Collegetown Network to member institutions. Please contact us if you have questions about costs and funding.