LEADING TOGETHER CAMPAIGN IMPACT REPORT
Gephardt Institute for Civic & Community Engagement
Director's Message The Gephardt Institute represents our collective hope for a world filled with engaged citizens who actively contribute to the progress and vitality of their communities. By investing in civic engagement, we are investing in the promise of democracy and in our Washington University students who graduate with a deep sense of civic responsibility. An exceptional number of people have embraced the mission of the Gephardt Institute. I am particularly grateful to the Gephardt Institute National Council for their guidance through the campaign and to all of our supporters who have provided the financial resources necessary for the Gephardt Institute to thrive. The programs and impact you will read about in the pages that follow would not have been possible without the philanthropic support of generous donors at all levels. Visionary champions have continually stepped forward to provide funding to launch and scale many of these programs and have, in the process, influenced countless lives. I am pleased to highlight the institute’s key areas of impact during the Leading Together campaign, and I offer my sincere thanks to all of you who have made this vital work possible.
Stephanie N. Kurtzman Peter G. Sortino Director, Gephardt Institute
"Through 'Leading Together,' the Gephardt Institute has realized a great deal of financial support, enabling Washington University to be better able to prepare the civic leaders of tomorrow, inspire civic engagement across the life span, and enhance the quality of life for all."
–Mark S. Wrighton, Chancellor
"The Gephardt Institute cultivates engaged citizens who are inspired and equipped to address the great challenges facing our world. This is essential work of universities and reflects Washington University’s commitment to serve, lead, and partner with communities near and far to advance the human condition."
–Holden Thorp, Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
Together, we serve. When I retired from the House of Representatives, I knew I wanted to support civic engagement efforts through an initiative based in my hometown of St. Louis. I envisioned an “action tank” – an organization that would inspire and equip people of all ages to actively participate in our great democracy. Institutions of higher learning can make a significant impact by delivering this message and helping our young people understand what it means to be a citizen – engaged in public life and in making communities stronger for everyone – whether they plan to be an engineer, a doctor, or a public servant. Chancellor Wrighton and I launched the Gephardt Institute nearly 14 years ago, and it has expanded far beyond my wildest imagination. This has little to do with me and a lot to do with the Chancellor’s leadership and the commitment of the Gephardt Institute staff. The Gephardt Institute is truly fostering a vibrant culture of civic engagement throughout Washington University that emanates into the world to foster thriving communities. This summer marked the conclusion of Leading Together: The Campaign for Washington University. Since 2009, supporters like you have invested in the Gephardt Institute’s vision of engaged citizens and thriving communities. Together, we raised over $5.8 million dollars, allowing the Institute to dramatically expand its reach and advance student learning and community impact through initiatives that begin with the first-year experience and continue beyond graduation. The growth and accomplishments of the Gephardt Institute have been magnificent, and this has been made possible through the generous support of alumni, friends, parents, faculty, staff, and current students. The presence of the Gephardt Institute is more important than it has ever been. We are seeing unprecedented division and social challenges that reaffirm the urgent need for citizens who are committed to engaging in dialogue and seeking solutions that improve the quality of life for all. I am honored to be associated with the Gephardt Institute and its consequential mission. I invite you to learn more about the Institute’s key programs and outcomes and to share your ideas about how we can work together to prepare the next generation for life-long engaged citizenship.
Richard A. Gephardt Founder Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement 1
About the gephardt institute
Former Congressman Richard Gephardt with Gephardt Institute program participants.
The Gephardt Institute for Public Service was established in 2005 with a bold vision galvanized by former Congressman Richard Gephardt and continually embraced by Chancellor Wrighton and Provost Thorp: that Washington University students are inspired and equipped to contribute to the life and health of communities around the world. Mr. Gephardt founded the institute with an endowment gift, and it has expanded and evolved since then thanks to the generosity of supporters. In 2006, Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton and Dean James E. McLeod aligned the Gephardt Institute with the Community Service Office in Campus Life to create synergy between curricular and co-curricular initiatives.
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After years of coordination in providing programs and services to the campus, the St. Louis community, and beyond, the two organizations integrated in fall 2015 to become the Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement. This integration coincided with the Gephardt Institute’s tenth anniversary celebration year and signaled a move to a definition of civic engagement that extended beyond public service and political action. The reimagined Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement brought together curricular initiatives such as the Civic Scholars Program and Community-Engaged Courses with direct services such as Each One Teach One and
Our Mission
Who We Serve
The Gephardt Institute fosters a vibrant culture of civic engagement throughout Washington University, realized by engaged citizens, scholarship, and partnerships that advance the collective good.
Through both academic and co-curricular initiatives, the Gephardt Institute supports civic learning, leadership, and impact that reaches Washington University students, faculty, staff, alumni, community partners, and friends.
LEADING Together
Our Goals • Educate students for lifelong engaged citizenship • Catalyze partnerships that respond to community needs and priorities • Infuse civic engagement throughout the Washington University experience
"What is at the core of why our democracy functions as well as it does? In the end, it is because of the presence of our citizens, engaged in our governance and in the communities they live in – helping people who need help and being involved in the dialogue that has to go on in a democracy."
Former Congressman Richard Gephardt with Civic Scholars: Jacob Metz, AB '17; Suhas Gondi, AB '17; María José Ruiz, AB '17; Norah Rast, AB '17; Yaala Muller, AB '17.
–Former Congressman Richard Gephardt
Our Founder Former Congressman Richard Gephardt is President and CEO of Gephardt Government Affairs.
student leader trainings, resulting in a university-wide and comprehensive approach to civic engagement. The integration also aligned with a broader shift in higher education toward a civic mission that embraces a partnership-based approach that is responsive to community needs. The Gephardt Institute began as a small enterprise and has quickly grown to be Washington University’s standard bearer for engaged citizenship. Institute staff work across all seven academic schools – at both undergraduate and graduate levels – to assure robust and high quality opportunities on campus and in St. Louis, while also championing the work of alumni to support a lifetime of civic engagement across the nation and world. The institute’s growth and accomplishments reflect the passion and commitment of the Washington University community as we work together to address today’s pressing social challenges. Together, we will continue to lead our Washington University community toward a vibrant culture of civic engagement that contributes to the progress and vitality of communities near and far. Together, we serve. Together, we lead. Together, we make a difference.
Mr. Gephardt served for 28 years in the United States House of Representatives (from 1977 to 2005), representing Missouri’s 3rd Congressional District, home to his birthplace of St. Louis. In his first year in Congress, he was appointed to both the House Ways and Means and Budget Committees. He was elected to serve as House Democratic Leader for more than 14 years, as House Majority Leader from 1989 to 1995, and Minority Leader from 1995 to 2003. In his role as Leader, Mr. Gephardt emerged as one of the leading strategists of the Democratic Party’s platform and chief architect to landmark reforms in healthcare, pensions, education, energy independence, and trade policy. Mr. Gephardt began his career in public service in 1968 as a precinct captain for St. Louis’ 14th Ward and, from 1971 to 1976, served as its Alderman. In 1976, he was elected to Congress. Mr. Gephardt earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Northwestern University in 1962 and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Michigan Law School in 1965. He received an honorary Doctor of Science degree from Washington University in 2005. He has been married to Jane Gephardt for five decades, and they have three children: Matt, Chrissy, and Kate.
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Educating Students for Lifelong Engaged Citizenship "The Gephardt Institute strives to cultivate informed and actively engaged citizens, which begins with transforming the first-year experience. The team is seeking to widen first-year access to voter registration resources and Community-Engaged Courses, facilitate first-year relationshipbuilding with community partners through service projects and excursions, and continue to train student leaders to facilitate reflective dialogue throughout the orientation program."
–Eric Scroggins, AB ’01
A Foundation for Engagement We seek to connect students with their passions and inspire them to think deeply about their role in the community from their initial days on campus. Programs like Leadership Through Service, Meet St. Louis, and the Civic and Community Engagement Fair often serve as students’ first introduction to engagement opportunities and a path toward civic learning and leadership that continues beyond commencement.
"The Gephardt Institute has expanded co-curricular opportunities that complement Washington University’s renowned academic offerings. Program participants go outside their comfort zone and help themselves and the university take a broader outlook."
the politics of public education, the local sustainable food movement, and societal systems that reinforce hunger and homelessness. The Civic and Community Engagement Fair is an annual event featuring a wide variety of student groups that present their projects and goals to fellow undergraduate students. In 2018, the 20th annual fair expanded to include social action and political groups in addition to the usual community service groups, as we seek to foster all forms of civic engagement on campus and in the St. Louis region.
Through extensive student outreach and a broad range of Gephardt Institute programs and resources, students are highly engaged in the community. We have seen higher Leadership Through Service is a four-day program that rates of volunteer service among Washington University takes place before new student orientation and includes a undergraduates compared to our peer institutions. range of service projects, excursions, and trainings, aimed The Washington University Senior Survey found that to connect students with the broader St. Louis community. 60% of seniors in the class of 2018 participated in The program was established over 20 years ago and has volunteer service in the United States during college, introduced an estimated 1,500 first-year students to pressing through programs such as our Each One Teach One social issues and community engagement opportunities. tutoring initiative and over 60 student-run groups addressing poverty, global health, environmental justice, Meet St. Louis evolved from Service First, a one-time and a range of other social and public health issues. community service opportunity for first-year students over Each One Teach One partners with KIPP: Victory Academy Labor Day weekend. Over the past four years, Meet St. Louis has sparked meaningful reflection on students’ and the Hawthorn Leadership School for Girls, providing tutors with the training and support they need to be intentions for their time in St. Louis and how they plan effective. Students commit over 11,000 hours annually to relate to their new city. The program offers day-long immersions focused on a wide range of topics, including through Each One Teach One. –Claude R. Marx, AB ’83
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Civic Scholars Program With thanks to our generous donors, we established the Civic Scholars Program in 2011 with an inaugural cohort of five students and a vision to foster lifelong civic leadership by teaching civic knowledge and skills to exceptional undergraduate students who have demonstrated a commitment to community engagement. Additional gifts have enabled the program to grow to support 18 students per cohort through a rigorous two-year curriculum, immersion trips in Washington, D.C. and the City of St. Louis, and $5,000 summer stipends that support each scholar in a substantial civic project or internship. Civic Scholars consistently report that the program is transformational. Pia Marcus, AB ’13, said, “The Civic Scholars Program solidified my commitment to a lifetime of public service. With the guidance and encouragement of incredible mentors and fellow Civic Scholars, I was able to find my voice and build confidence as a leader.”
Growing Our Impact: Maxine Clark and Bob Fox Building on a legacy of generous support to Washington University, business and civic leaders Maxine Clark, Trustee, and Bob Fox provided a major gift to advance the efforts of the Gephardt Institute and its Civic Scholars Program. These contributions funded an additional cohort of Civic Scholars, doubling the number of students benefitting from the program. Over the course of the couple’s nine-year commitment, 72 students will have the opportunity to cultivate their passion for civic engagement as Fox-Clark Civic Scholars. A founding member of the Gephardt Institute National Council, Bob Fox has served as a mentor to numerous Civic Scholars. “My vision for the Gephardt Institute and Civic Scholars Program,” he says, “is that they will provide the foundational education needed for transformational civic engagement with communities, whether in our region, the state, the nation, or the world, that allows Washington University to have sustained positive global impact – impact that will make the world a more just, equitable, inclusive, prosperous, and joyful place.”
54 Civic Scholars have graduated from this highly selective program and demonstrated exemplary skills and enduring commitment to civic leadership through the Rhodes Scholarship, Harvard Medical School, Teach For America, and Gates Cambridge Scholarship, among others. We will graduate 34 more scholars in the next two years.
Members of inaugural Civic Scholars Program cohort at five-year reunion event: Pia Marcus, AB ’13; Peter Birke, AB ’13; Andreas Mitchell, AB ’13; and Grace Chao, AB ’13.
Civic Scholars Experience "The Civic Scholars Program taught me to see myself as a change agent and civic leader. I learned how to identify a need and partner with stakeholders to address it. This filled a gap in my medical education that allows me to treat not just the patient in front of me but the systemic issues affecting their health." –Andreas Mitchell, AB ’13 "The program provided me with the resources – personal and professional – to explore where my passions meet the world’s needs. Through the community of students and mentors, I learned about the ways civic engagement and social justice manifest in a wide range of sectors. I also made lifelong friends, all of whom I know will make immeasurable impact." –Carrick Reddin, BArch ’16
"My future career goals have always been centered around service to others. My experiences with the Gephardt Institute have solidified those goals and given me the tools and confidence that I need to succeed in my post-graduate life. As a future officer in the Army, this experience will undoubtedly serve me well as I navigate cross-cultural channels and work with a diverse set of people." –Haley Allen, Mary and Tom Stillman Civic Scholar, Arts & Sciences, Class of 2019 5
A Historic Gift to the Civic Scholars Program: Mickey and Debbie Stern In 2018, Mickey and Debbie Stern, longtime supporters of the university and parents of Michelle Stern-Samberg, AB '00, gave a historic gift to support the Civic Scholars Program. The financial commitment is enabling the program to expand experiential and immersive opportunities at the local, state, and national levels; provide additional support for low-income scholars; and establish a comprehensive program evaluation process. The gift will fund an additional four Civic Scholars annually, for a total of five Stern Family Civic Scholars per cohort. Through their contributions, the Sterns hope to instill in future generations a passion for community engagement and serving others. Mickey shares that, “Debbie and I learned at a young age the significance and joy of giving to others and serving in one’s community. We want to share that experience with our children and with generations to follow.”
The Civic Scholars Program is also made possible by generous gifts from John Beuerlein, Trustee, MBA ’77, and Crystal Beuerlein (in honor of Bob Virgil, MBA ’60, DBA ’67, and Gerry Virgil); Geri and David Cantor; Joseph N. Marcus, MD ’75, and Margaret A. Olsen, Professor of Medicine and Surgery; Mary Stillman, Trustee, and Tom Stillman; Matt Seiden, AB ’78, and Wendi Weill; Bob and Gerry Virgil; and anonymous donors.
Engage Democracy Central to the Gephardt Institute’s vision of civic engagement is informed participation in the workings of democracy. In 2018, we launched Engage Democracy, a university-wide initiative that aims to educate the campus community about the processes and civic skills needed to contribute to a thriving democracy. The initiative, generously funded by Bruce Levenson, AB ’71, and Karen Levenson, includes five key components: voter engagement, Common Ground Grants, civic skills workshops, a new Senior Fellow in Public Policy, and a Public Service Fellows Program in partnership with the Brown School.
"The Gephardt Institute helps people understand that people can disagree without being disagreeable, and it reminds us of the importance of finding common ground. Our country needs that now more than ever." –Jack Oliver 6 |
LEADING Together
Engage Democracy builds on the Gephardt Institute’s robust voter engagement efforts. The Gephardt Institute, responsible for overseeing voter registration, engagement, and compliance for all students on campus, led an extraordinary effort to increase voter turnout in 2016. Beginning in spring 2016 through November’s Election Day, the institute focused on increasing voter turnout by registering WashU students and educating them on ballot issues and voting logistics. Our student voting rate increased by 11% from 2012 and exceeded the national average among colleges and universities. The institute also emphasizes the lifelong identity of being a voter. We offer nonpartisan resources, organize WashU Votes volunteers, and coordinate highly visible voter engagement activities to increase students’ political participation throughout the year, even outside of major election cycles. As citizens who feel passionately about advancing democracy, Bruce and Karen Levenson are eager to empower others to do the same. About the initiative’s longterm vision, Bruce says, “Success would be every eligible Washington University student casting informed votes in elections and graduating with the tools and motivation to engage in the political process and other civic endeavors in the communities they land in after college.”
"The opportunities that are afforded to its students, who, in turn, go on to effectuate meaningful change in society, are what inspire and motivate us to support the Gephardt Institute. We see firsthand the impact of the Gephardt Institute through our daughter’s participation in institute programs. Her experience is deeply influenced by relationships with her peers and educators, and the quality of her learning and reflection is truly astounding." –Laura Kleinhandler, AB ’90, and David Kleinhandler
From top left to bottom right: 1. First-year students participated in a chalk art project with residents of the Skinker DeBaliviere neighborhood while on a 2015 Meet St. Louis excursion. 2. WashU students celebrated 2017 National Voter Registration Day with a photo booth and tabling activities. 3. Mallory Nezam, founder and director of STL Improv Anywhere, spoke with first-year students during a 2016 Meet St. Louis excursion on public art and public space in St. Louis. 4. Class of 2018 Civic Scholars reflected on their program experiences at a graduation celebration.
Voter friendly campus recognition Washington University was nationally recognized as a Voter Friendly Campus in spring 2018. Following a competitive application process, 83 colleges and universities received the designation, which recognizes campuses doing excellent work to empower their students to participate in the democratic process. The Voter Friendly Campus initiative is led by Campus Vote Project and NASPA – Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education. 7
Catalyzing Partnerships that Respond to Community Needs and Priorities "An academic foundation is only the first step in fully developing as a professional in the space of community and civic engagement. Historically and to date, the St. Louis metropolitan area has a plethora of social and economic challenges from which many WashU students are insulated. Opportunities to engage in civic and community-based service provides an expanded lens through which WashU students can more broadly and authentically assess social justice issues –L. Elaine Sutton, ACLU of Missouri, Goldman Fellows Site Supervisor beyond the classroom."
Community Partnerships We serve as a bridge-builder between St. Louis community organizations and Washington University departments and groups in support of partnerships that simultaneously advance regional priorities and enhance student learning. We are committed to cultivating partnerships based on trust, collaboration, and responsiveness to shared goals. Through over 600 community partnerships, Washington University contributes nearly 1 million volunteer hours annually to initiatives in the St. Louis region.
Civic Engagement Fund The Civic Engagement Fund supports WashU community members working to strengthen the fabric of the St. Louis region. We have awarded over $200,000 in grants to students, faculty, and staff who have used these funds to develop a wide range of Community-Engaged Courses and community partnerships that address pressing social and economic challenges. Social Change Grants and faculty grants served as early foundations for the Civic Engagement Fund. Beginning with the Stern Social Change Grant in 2000, grants of $5,000 and $6,000 supported WashU students with the development and implementation of innovative
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community projects during the summer. Grants supported local, national, and international projects. Faculty grants advanced Community-Engaged Teaching and scholarship in departments across the university. In 2018, the Civic Engagement Fund was revised to further encourage sustained partnership and planning with community organizations in the St. Louis region. The grant categories are: Grants for St. Louis Projects (Community Planning Grants and Community Partnership Grants), Course Development Grants, Small Change Grants, and the Community Engagement Opportunity Fund.
"The Gephardt Institute provides a mechanism for structured, productive, and formative community engagement projects for Washington University students, who represent our best hope for the future in these difficult times." –Joseph N. Marcus, MD ’75, and Margaret A. Olsen, Professor, Medicine and Surgery
Civic Engagement Fund Projects Josh Yudkin, AB ’11 Stern Social Change Grant (2010) Josh served the Guerrero Surgery and Education Center, 125 miles west of Chihuahua City, Mexico. For two weeks a year, the clinic provides more than 60 percent of ophthalmological care in the state. Josh and his team, comprised of local clinic workers and volunteers, conducted eye exams, delivered glasses, and took blood pressure and blood sugar readings for community members who didn’t otherwise have access to these services. In addition to conducting exams and distributing over 1,000 pairs of glasses, he interviewed participants, gathered data, and presented a final report to the clinic in both English and Spanish that was used for promotional purposes and to develop strategies to improve the number of patients treated through pre-mission triage and clinic processes.
Sandra Matteucci, Lecturer; Director, Engineering Communication Center Community-Engaged Teaching Grant (2015) Sandra Matteucci received funding for her course, “Destination Ferguson: Looking at Urban Sustainability through the Lens of Engineering Ethics, Leadership, and Conflict Management.” Students looked at the parallels between two tragic moments in history: the Challenger shuttle explosion and the unrest in Ferguson. They explored the issues surrounding these events, visited the Challenger Learning Center, and met routinely in Ferguson – eating at restaurants, visiting area businesses, and attending class in the Ferguson Community Center. Weaving together engineering case studies on disasters such as the Love Canal Superfund and discussions with leaders close to the Ferguson conflict, students weighed the implications of decisions made without consideration of the broader community.
Healthy Humans Project Team Civic Engagement Fund Grant (2015) Healthy Humans is a nutrition program started by pre-medical students. It teaches both the science and practice of healthy cooking to youth from low-income communities. The Healthy Humans team hosts a weekly after-school program at the Dellwood Recreation Center. Program volunteers provide comprehensive science education on nutrition and disease prevention and engage students in hands-on cooking lessons with an emphasis on recipes that are both affordable and accessible in the community.
From top to bottom: 1. Josh Yudkin, AB ’11, at Guerrero Surgery and Education Center in Mexico. 2. Sandra Matteucci, co-instructor of “Destination Ferguson: Looking at Urban Sustainability through the Lens of Engineering Ethics, Leadership, and Conflict Management.” 3. Cooking lesson led by Healthy Humans project team at Dellwood Recreation Center.
Team members received a St. Louis Projects grant, which has allowed them to cover all start-up expenses. The team now has a comprehensive set of cooking appliances and can accommodate up to ten kids at a time at individualized cooking stations. The grant also covers the cost of instructional materials for lessons, which will give the group the ability to host classes at different locations over time. 9
Arts as Civic Engagement
Goldman Fellows Program
"There are different reasons that art matters for everyone. Art can heal and educate and can even be part of one’s spiritual outlook. But it is when we tap into others’ investment in art and their communities that strong connections can emerge and grow."
We marked the 10th anniversary of the Goldman Fellows Program, a competitive fellowship that builds the capacity of St. Louis nonprofit and governmental organizations by immersing students physically, culturally, and intellectually into the fabric of St. Louis as full-time summer interns. Funded by the Joyce and Irving Goldman Family Foundation, the program integrates civic-mindedness and experiential learning models to provide students with a cohort-based experience.
–Rachel Roberts, Arts & Sciences, Class of 2019 In 2018, we launched our Arts as Civic Engagement initiative. Based on the deep traditions of the arts as a powerful means of community expression, the program provides a platform for students to become fully immersed in arts-based community engagement. In its inaugural year, the program supported three rising WashU seniors in a Civic and Community Arts Residency at St. Louis region arts organizations to work with civic and community arts engagement projects. Students received a stipend of $5,000 to support their residency while they worked as embedded staff members full-time at their host organizations to participate in the planning stages for a performance, production, or exhibition, created for and with community partnership. This year’s residents worked with the St. Louis Shakespeare Festival, Griot Museum of Black History and Culture, and St. Louis Contemporary Art Museum. Arts as Civic Engagement is made possible by generous gifts from Sally Schnuck, OT ’78, and Terry Schnuck, PMBA ’80, and John Beuerlein, Trustee, MBA ’77, and Crystal Beuerlein. The program has already had widereaching impact. As Terry Schnuck reflects, “Each of the fellows reported to me that, as a result of their fellowship, their lives will either take a different path or they will continue on the road they were already traveling with a different perspective of how arts can impact others. This particular program of the Gephardt Institute has also brought communities and citizens together from as little as less than a mile apart to as much as 140 miles apart.”
Through professional development seminars, neighborhood immersions, and community experiences that contextualize the Washington University education, the Goldman Fellows Program aims to develop civic leaders, support positive community impact, and foster students’ identities as St. Louis citizens. Each year, institute staff are committed to modifying its speakers, neighborhood locations, and discussion topics to reflect community priorities, changes in the regional landscape, and the academic and career interests of the current cohort.
In total, 115 Goldman Fellows have interned with 84 different non-profit, community, and governmental organizations, and have received over $400,000 in summer stipends. They have contributed over 34,500 hours to 84 local organizations.
"It is amazing to see how, over the course of 10 years, the Goldman Fellows Program has evolved. It started with a simple idea: get WashU students to experience St. Louis over the summer. It’s now a program which asks students to think hard about who we are as a community and who we are to the wider St. Louis community. It’s wonderful to see how many partnerships have grown between students, organizations, and the city." –Benjamin Goldman-Israelow, AB ’06
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From top left to bottom right: 1. Connie Gan, AB ’17, received a Civic Engagement Fund grant to support a Tri My Best Children's Adaptive Triathlon for athletes with motor disorders in 2016. 2. 2012 Goldman Fellow Marcus Brown (right), AB ’13, completed an internship with the Kirkland Economic Development Corporation LLC. 3. The Enright Community Butterfly Garden, supported by the Civic Engagement Fund, is a collaborative effort of the Enright Block Unit, the Pulitzer Arts Foundation, and Micah Stanek, lecturer in landscape architecture. 4. Sarah Garwood (left), MD, speaks with community partners. Garwood is assistant professor of pediatrics at the School of Medicine and received a Civic Engagement Fund grant in 2016 to develop a safe, calming, and trauma-informed lounge area for youth within the School Based Health Center at Jennings Senior High School.
goldman fellow spotlight Nicola Salzman, AB ’17, interned with sustainability and facilities staff at the St. Louis Public Schools district office during summer 2016. She prepared a comprehensive master plan with research on best practices of school districts that champion sustainability and a master plan with recommended engagement, policy, and technology changes for increased energy efficiency and district-wide cost savings. In total, her policy and maintenance change savings were estimated at $605,892.
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Infusing Civic Engagement Throughout the Washington University Experience "Almost 14 years ago, when Congressman Gephardt and Chancellor Wrighton created the Gephardt Institute, the dream was that lifelong civic engagement become a distinctive quality of Washington University. With the Gephardt Institute and its fantastic team leading the way, this goal is becoming reality. Students and alumni, faculty and staff, all increasingly are engaged in helping to make communities around the globe better and more just."
–Robert L. Virgil, MBA ’60, DBA ’67; Emeritus Trustee; Dean Emeritus, Olin Business School
Community-Engaged Teaching We have supported the development of Community-Engaged Courses across all academic schools. Washington University offers over 80 courses that bridge academic learning with real-world experience in local communities. Key elements of Community-Engaged Teaching include connecting academic learning outcomes with learning done through community-based engagement in the context of respect, reciprocity, relevance, and reflection (Butin, 2007). To support faculty members in developing these courses, the institute offers financial support, consultation, and facilitation of partnerships. The work of Beth Martin, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Studies and past Gephardt Institute Community Engagement Faculty Fellow, set the stage for more robust emphasis on Community-Engaged Teaching. Beth coordinated a stakeholder process to define needs and priorities of a new faculty and academic engagement position. We hired our first Associate Director for Faculty and Academic Engagement in summer 2018. The position serves as the institute’s lead on the vision, strategic expansion, and impact of academic community engagement and is available to work with faculty and leadership across the university to
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assure robust and high quality opportunities for faculty and student engagement in the community through CommunityEngaged Teaching. As Brian Carpenter, professor of psychological and brain sciences, reflects, “The Gephardt Institute is always asking us to think, ‘How are your interests related to problems that need to be solved in the real world?’ I think these kinds of institutes push us as scholars and as teachers to figure out how is your academic interest – your intellectual interest – connected to real-world problems, and how can you bring that intellectual interest to solving those problems.”
"The Gephardt Institute engages not only students, but also departments and professors across the university, challenging them to incorporate community engagement in their curriculum. We appreciate that students studying such diverse disciplines as medicine, architecture, biology, and engineering can use their expertise to help the greater community make a positive social impact. These lessons will impact them regardless of where they go and what they decide to do in life, encouraging them to be better citizens." –Tricia and Matt Gephardt
"The Gephardt Institute plays a major role in enabling students to become more aware of the value of community engagement and then finding ideal specific opportunities to immerse themselves and make a difference." –Matt Seiden, AB ’78, and Wendi Weill
Gephardt Student Internship Program Our talented and dedicated team is comprised of 12 full-time staff, 7 part-time and adjunct staff, and 22 undergraduate and graduate students who fulfill essential institute roles through the Gephardt Student Internship Program. The Gephardt Student Internship Program is one of the institute’s greatest assets. Working with a team of highly talented and civic-minded students increases our capacity for engagement of students, faculty, alumni, and partners to foster a robust university-wide civic culture and impact. We employ students from diverse academic backgrounds who fulfill essential roles and receive substantive professional and personal development. In 2017-2018, students worked a combined 11,200 hours in the following areas: First-Year Student Engagement, K-12 and Youth Initiatives, Civic Engagement Education, Campus and Community Partnerships, Research and Evaluation, Communications, and Event Management. Susie and Chuck Fandos funded a new full-time one year Community Engagement Fellowship and remarked, “The health and livability of the St. Louis community for all citizens is incredibly important to us. Through the Gephardt Institute and the Community Engagement Fellowship, we feel we can make a difference in this community and in growing concerned and active citizens. We wanted to work with a strong organization who shared our values and call to action. The Gephardt Institute does that.”
Our recent growth in student staff and fellowship positions is made possible by generous gifts from Mary Jo Crosby, AB ’69, and John Crosby, AB ’69; Susie and Chuck Fandos; Leroy Nunery II, MBA ’79, and Gina Golson-Nunery; Matt Seiden, AB ’78, and Wendi Weill; and Ann Daly Tretter.
From top to bottom: 1. WashU staff and faculty participated in a panel on “Online Tools for Political Mobilization” in spring 2017. 2. Bob Hansman, Community Engagement Faculty Fellow at the Gephardt Institute and associate professor of architecture, hosts a series of St. Louis Community Bus Tours, exploring the racial, sociocultural, and political context of St. Louis city and county. 3. Gephardt Institute professional and student staff during a fall 2017 kick-off retreat.
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Alumni Engagement
Peter G. Sortino Directorship
"As a Washington University alumnus and parent, I am encouraged by the profound effect the Gephardt Institute is already having in increasing the awareness of the need for effective involvement, the means by which individuals can contribute, and the sense of mutual societal obligation and benefit. My recent graduate and current student have a fundamentally different perception, vernacular, and level of involvement than was common when I was a student."
Stephanie N. Kurtzman was installed as the inaugural Peter G. Sortino Director of the Gephardt Institute in September 2017. The Directorship of the Gephardt Institute was endowed thanks to a gift from the Danforth Foundation. This gift honors the late St. Louis civic leader Peter Sortino, who embodied the institute's values of humility, empathy, and integrity.
–Andrew McCune, AB ’86 In recent years, we have deepened our commitment to galvanize and foster the civic involvement of alumni, with the goal of fostering thriving communities across the nation and world. We partnered with the Washington University Alumni Association to establish WashU Engage, an alumni civic engagement initiative that includes community service projects and Common Reading Program book discussions in local communities. To date, over 1,400 alumni and parents have participated in 117 events across the country. Local service projects have addressed social issues ranging from food insecurity to disaster relief. Spearheaded by John Crosby, AB ’69, and a dedicated planning committee, our Chicago chapter is expanding the current WashU Engage model by offering civic and community engagement activities continuously throughout the year, including a retirement center “Bingo and Breakfast,” park restorations, and more. WashU Engage encourages alumni to be active participants in their communities, as we seek to foster lifelong engagement. Mary Jo Crosby, AB ’69, and John Crosby explain their commitment to the program: “The need for citizen leaders who are committed to public service that is civil, honest, and equitable could not be greater than now…It is an honor to advance the cause of civic and community engagement by our fellow alumni through WashU Engage and the programs it addresses to meet societal needs.”
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LEADING Together
At the ceremony, Stephanie said, “When we get off campus and stand on the asphalt and soil in our communities; when we look others in the eye and hear their stories, struggles, triumphs, and dreams…it is at these moments that we have the best opportunity to contribute substantively to the vitality of our region, to earn the trust of local citizens and leaders who know their communities best, and to effectively prepare our students for lives dedicated to improving the human condition.”
Gerry & Bob Virgil Ethic of Service Award In 2018, the Gerry and Bob Virgil Ethic of Service Award celebrated 15 years of uplifting civic engagement and service at a ceremony at the Charles F. Knight Executive Education Center. Founded during Washington University’s Sesquicentennial year and named to honor Bob Virgil – MBA ’60, DBA ’67; Emeritus Trustee; Dean Emeritus, Olin Business School – and his wife Gerry, the award annually recognizes a select group of WashU community members who exemplify a character of service and engagement with the St. Louis region. To date, 92 students, faculty, staff, alumni, retirees, and volunteers of the university have been honored.
"Since the beginnings of our Republic, participation of an educated citizenry in our political discourse has been critical to American success. Now, in an era of instant news, the leaders of the Gephardt Institute understand that civic engagement is even more crucial." –Bill Frymoyer Jr., AB ’85
From top left to bottom right: 1. 2016 WashU Engage site leaders organized a visit for Chicago alumni to interact with older adults at St. Brendan Apartments. 2. Stephanie Kurtzman with former Congressman Richard Gephardt and Chancellor Mark Wrighton during September 2017 installation ceremony. 3. 2012 Gerry and Bob Virgil Ethic of Service Award honorees with the Virgils.
long-lasting impact
"The Gephardt Institute is a dynamic organism, adapting to the needs of the university community for active, meaningful engagement. Many universities have entities that ‘engage’ with their multiple constituencies, but in particular, the Gephardt Institute has produced multiple cohorts of students who are now imbued with practical experiences and knowledge that will enable them to make long-lasting improvements to their communities, regardless of where those communities may be." –Leroy Nunery II, MBA ’79, and Gina Golson-Nunery 15
why we Serve:
the next generation of civic leaders The Gephardt Institute cultivates engaged citizens by reaching undergraduate and graduate students at key touchstones throughout their college experience, from the moment they arrive on campus through commencement and beyond. Through programs, training, mentorship, and events, students learn how to dialogue across difference and how to be thoughtful community members and active citizens. The commitment to civic involvement and community engagement fostered through the institute impacts students in profound ways that have the potential to shape the lives they choose to lead post-graduation. Meaningful engagement with St. Louis during their time at WashU helps prepare them to impact communities around the world as dynamic agents of change. Cultivating the next generation of civic leaders necessitates the support of generous individuals who understand the role that mentorship and sponsorship play in fostering students’ self-awareness, civic skills, and commitment to collaboration, dialogue, and community engagement. By giving to the Gephardt Institute, alumni have the power to extend the experiences they have had with the Gephardt Institute to a new generation of students. Their contributions directly catalyze the process of students becoming lifelong engaged citizens and support a broad range of initiatives, including voter engagement events, “Meet the Leader” lunches with visiting civic leaders, transportation subsidies for low-income students, and grants for projects that foster positive impact in St. Louis. Their gifts, no matter the size, have a ripple effect on the lives of students and the communities they serve.
Caption
Read about the impact of our programs from the perspective of current students and the inspiration behind gifts from our recent alumni.
Student Reflections “Through my involvement with the Gephardt Institute, I have come to learn that I am blessed with an incredible amount of privilege, and rather than just appreciate that privilege, I have the ability to use it to engender meaningful change. Perhaps more importantly, my work has opened my eyes to the blatant injustices and inequity that plague our communities and has inspired me to fight to ameliorate these injustices and commit to a career path that will have a positive social impact.” –Seth Coven, Leadership Through Service Coordinator, Arts & Sciences, Class of 2019
“I have learned that every field — from engineering to medicine to carpentry — can 'be civic.' It's just a matter of committing to the civic mindset, and then gauging how your skills can enable you to do good in the world.” –Dan Sicorsky, Dr. Margaret A. Olsen & Dr. Joseph N. Marcus Civic Scholar, Arts & Sciences, Class of 2019 16 |
LEADING Together
From top left to bottom right: 1. Each One Teach One program volunteer at a fall carnival event hosted by KIPP partners in 2015. 2. Ryan Burton, MSW ’16, on a tour of Lewis Place, one of many small group experiences offered through the 2015 Meet St. Louis Program. 3. WashU Votes student volunteers registered peers leading up to the 2016 Presidential Election. 4. Class of 2019 Civic Scholars on a fall break trip in Washington, D.C.
Alumni Reflections "My time as an intern helped to mold me as a person, and it shaped my future. This is why I donate to the Gephardt Institute every year. I wish my donation could be larger, and one day it will be, but as a teacher I donate what I can." –Julie Hess, AB ’09
"There's nothing more important right now than instilling in young people the value of civic engagement — particularly in this moment when policy and politics can feel so fraught and difficult. The Gephardt Institute is developing leaders who have the knowledge, skills, and commitment to take on these challenges, and this work is so vital in building a community of people who believe in participating in the democratic process at all levels and in advancing social justice." –Shaina Goodman, AB ’08, LW ’12, MSW ’12
"At a time when our country is being increasingly torn apart by hyper-partisanship, the Gephardt Institute is working to bring together diverse views of what public service is and what it ought to be. By helping all of us truly listen to each other, the Gephardt Institute is helping all of us learn from one another. It is this process, Caption which the Gephardt Institute has been on the forefront of since its founding, that will help lead our country forward, together, to a brighter day." "The Gephardt Institute has been extremely influential in informing my understanding of how to be a member of a community in a positive, mutually beneficial way. Through its programs, I have learned by example how to enter and exit communities appropriately and collaborate with community-led organizations that genuinely understand the needs of the populations they serve and are culturally competent in their practices. Being involved in the Gephardt Institute has made me a more conscientious and active citizen." –Carly Klinenberg, Alumni Civic Engagement Coordinator, Arts & Sciences, Class of 2019
–Fernando Cutz, AB ’10
"One of the most enduring lessons I learned at the Gephardt Institute is the importance of being an empathic listener when engaging with the community. Through programs like Meet St. Louis and the Civic Engagement Fund, I discovered how one should first learn about the most important issues that a community would like to address before moving into action." –Ryan Burton, MSW ’16
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Campaign impact Total Campaign Giving
549
$5.8M
2440
TOTAL NUMBER OF
OVER $5.8 MILLION
TOTAL NUMBER OF
DONORS*
RAISED
GIFTS UNDER $100
))
*Number refers to distinct donors, some of whom made multiple gifts.
Cumulative Campaign Giving
$5,870,612 raised during Leading Together campaign
CAMPAIGN TOTAL (IN DOLLARS)
6 MILLION
4 MILLION
2 MILLION
0 FY10
18 |
LEADING Together
FY11
FY12
FY13
FY14
FY15
FY16
FY17
FY18
Giving Areas
Gifts by Donor Type CORPORATIONS 10%
ALUMNI/ HONORARY ALUMNI 36%
FOUNDATIONS 14%
FRIENDS 21% PARENTS 19%
Generous donors support the Gephardt Institute through contributions to a wide range of initiatives that align with institute priorities and donor preferences. The following restricted gift funds assure the sustainability and growth of programs, and unrestricted gifts enable the institute to develop new initiatives and sustain core institute functions. • Unrestricted*
Gifts by Purpose
• Arts as Civic Engagement Fellows*
RESTRICTED/NOT ENDOWED GIFTS 8%
• Civic Engagement Fund • Civic Scholars Program* ANNUAL FUND (SCHOLARSHIPS, INTERNSHIPS, FELLOWSHIPS, UNRESTRICTED GIFTS) 54%
ENDOWMENT 38%
• Community Engagement Opportunity Fund • Dick Gephardt Civic Legacy Fund • Engage Democracy • First Year Engagement
Gephardt Institute Eliot Society Membership*
NUMBER OF ELIOT SOCIETY MEMBERS
125
• Gephardt Student Internship Program* • Gerry & Bob Virgil Ethic of Service Award
100
• Goldman Fellows Program* • Moore McBride Faculty Community Engagement Fund
75
• WashU Engage: Alumni Civic Engagement Initiative
50
25
FY13
FY14
FY15
FY16
FY17
FY18
*The Gephardt Institute Eliot Society was established in 2012.
*Eligible for Eliot Society and Annual Fund recognition
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Eliot Society The Eliot Society is an Annual Fund recognition society for donors who give $1,000 or more to any school or program. In 2017-2018, 30% of the Gephardt Institute’s annual fund gifts were provided by Eliot Society members.
Gephardt Institute Eliot Society Membership Committee Claude R. Marx, AB ’83 Eliot Society Co-Chair Ann Daly Tretter Eliot Society Co-Chair
"I believe passionately in the Gephardt Institute’s focus on 'Engaged Citizens, Thriving Communities.' Only when more of our citizens are fully engaged – thoughtfully and respectfully – can we be confident our democracy will function as designed and communities will achieve their best." –Ann Daly Tretter
Thomas J. Irwin Eliot Society Chair Emeritus John B. Crosby, AB ’69 Steve Frappier, AB’ 00, MA ’06 William K. Frymoyer, Jr., AB ’85 Tricia Gephardt Danielle Borrin Hertz, AB ’05 Scott Intagliata Lynn Lyss, AB ’56 Jack Oliver Eric Scroggins, AB ’01
"The beauty of the Gephardt Institute is that not every student who engages with it has a wealth of political or civic experience but every student will be welcomed and shown a pathway to either hone or develop their skills. The work they do couldn’t possibly be more crucial given the current state of our political discourse because rather than sending someone to their respective political corners, the Gephardt Institute fosters empathy and skill development so that the students can enter either political or civic life with a skill set ready to engage rather than confront." –Tom Irwin, Senior Fellow in Public Policy,
Gephardt Institute
From left to right: 1. Class of 2017 Civic Scholars at a graduation reception. 2. 2015 Goldman Fellow Hannah Davison, AB '17, completed an internship with the International Institute of St. Louis.
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LEADING Together
National Council We give special thanks to current and past members of the Gephardt Institute National Council, whose wise counsel, engagement, encouragement, and financial support have been central to the Gephardt Institute's growth and success.
"Congressman Gephardt’s vision was for the institute to serve as an incubator for engaged, empathetic, and humble citizens who are convinced that the best path to progress for all people is the path where they walk together with respect for each other and in good spirited collaboration to arrive at the best possible solution for all. We share that same vision."
John D. Beuerlein, Trustee, MBA '77 National Council Chair
–John Beuerlein, Trustee, MBA ’77, and Crystal Beuerlein
Ira S. Hirschfield, AB '73 Louis G. Hutt Jr., Trustee, BS '76*
Robert L. Virgil, Emeritus Trustee,
Thomas J. Irwin
MBA '60, DBA '67
Rachel Jacobson, AB '80
National Council Chair Emeritus Todd Epsten*^ National Council Chair Emeritus
Laura Zajac Kleinhandler, AB '90* Barbara Levey Landes, AB '71 Traci Lerner*
Valerie D. Bell
Stefanie J. Levenson
Bunny Burson, MFA '05*
Randy M. Lipton
Jeanne McDonnell Champer, MHA '97
Lynn Lyss, AB '56*
Steven N. Cousins
Marylen Mann, AB '57, MA Ed '59*
John B. Crosby, AB '69
Claude R. Marx, AB '83
Fernando S. Cutz, AB '10
Andrew W. McCune, AB '86*
Donald Danforth III
Leroy D. Nunery II, MBA '79
Sharon J. Daniels
Jack Oliver
Hal J. Daub, BS '63*
Heschel J. Raskas
Barbara Eagleton
Laura A. Robbin, MA Ed '93
Joe Edwards
Matthew I. Seiden, AB '78*
Michael J. Esser
Julia-Feliz Umali Sessoms, AB '00
Chuck Fandos
Elliot H. Stein
Alison Nichols Ferring
Mary Stillman, Trustee
Robert N. Fox
Kurt A. Summers, BS '00
William K. Frymoyer Jr., AB '85
Anthony J. Thompson, MS '99
Brian A. Gallagher*
Ann Daly Tretter
Richard A. Gephardt, GR '05*
*Parent of a Washington University student or alumnus
Benjamin Goldman-Israelow, AB '06
^Deceased 21
Connect With Us: Stephanie N. Kurtzman Peter G. Sortino Director, Gephardt Institute stephanie.kurtzman@wustl.edu Tammy Cavarretta Director of Development for University Initiatives tammy.cavarretta@wustl.edu
gephardtinstitute.wustl.edu
On the Cover: 2018 Goldman Fellows cohort on a walking tour with community leaders in Ferguson, Missouri.