Hess Center Fellows

Over the past 20 years, Birmingham-Southern College has formed a rich tradition of encouraging student volunteerism and leadership through the Service-Learning and Leadership Studies Programs, now under the umbrella of the Hess Center for Leadership and Service. However, as Hess Center alumna Allison Stagg writes in her analysis of volunteer work, “service in and of itself cannot produce permanent, systemic change. Service is not a complete response to the problems of society, and as democratic citizens we must also be involved in changing institutions and policies when necessary.”

Therefore, we would like to be more intentional about providing comprehensive ways for our service-oriented student body to understand and experience how public policy affects people’s lives and how students can be involved in shaping that public policy in their own backyard. We believe that college is the ideal time for students to examine approaches to addressing social justice issues.

To this end, and thanks to the generosity of the Dixon Foundation, Independent Presbyterian Church Foundation, Dr. and Mrs. Ralph Doughton and Dr. and Mrs. Gayle Pelham we have developed an internship program that provides grants for nine BSC students to work as full-time Hess Center Fellows during the Summer Semester. We seek to match interns with non-profit organizations dedicated to advocacy in a number of fields. We hope that interns will be involved in examining and addressing social and economic problems, allowing them to closely observe experienced leaders in demanding, high-profile positions.

The agency application is provided below and is due by November 14th. The Hess Center Fellow application is provided below and is due by February 11th. If you have questions about the Hess Center Fellows intern program, please call x4679 or email Jeanne Jackson, jjackson@bsc.edu.

Agency Documents

Agency Application Information – Determine if your organization is eligible to partner with us.
Agency Application Form - Non-profit organizations who are interested in a full-time intern for 8 weeks to work on a specific advocacy project.
Agency Program Evaluation Form - Internship Evaluation for Participating Organizations.
Template for work plans students receive before beginning their internships

Student Documents

Student Application Information – Determine if you are eligible for this unique opportunity.
Student Application Form - Understand and experience how public policy affects people’s lives and how you can be involved in shaping it.
Student Program Evaluation Form – Internship Evaluation for Participating Students..

Applications now available for the 2008 Hess Fellows Program

Internship placements include:

The 2008 Hess Center Fellows

Haley Box - The Freedom Source, Birmingham, AL
Dana Bryant - VOICES for Alabama’s Children, Montgomery, AL
Laura Buckner - Alabama Poverty Project, Birmingham, AL
Mallory Dazelle - A+ Education Foundation, Montgomery, AL
Kelly Gronemeyer - Mobile Area Education Foundation, Mobile, AL
Channing Kennedy - Bread for the World, Washington, D.C.
Angie Matthews - Project ID at Highlands United Methodist, Birmingham, AL
Ben Miller - World Food Program, Rome, Italy
Brad Robinson - Alabama Citizens for Constitutional Reform, Birmingham, AL
Jeanie Sleadd - YWCA of Central Alabama, Birmingham, AL
Miriam Smith - National Alliance to End Homelessness, Washington, D.C.
Shandria Wilson - Operation New Birmingham, Birmingham, AL