MICAH Fellowship

MICAH Fellowship

The MICAH Fellowship allows current SMC and USD students the opportunity to cultivate personal and social responsibility through intentionally joining communities that strive to create positive social change. This is a living-learning fellowship that challenges participants to creatively examine and practice the program values: community, leadership, solidarity, social justice and spirituality. This multidisciplinary fellowship seeks to identify ongoing systems of oppression that create inequities and enact leadership to create systemic, institutional, and personal transformation. Selected MICAH fellows will commit to participating in the full experience from Oct 2023–July 2024.

BASIC INFORMATION

Six SMC and six USD students will be selected to participate in the MICAH Fellowship for the 2023-2024 academic year. Selected fellows will begin building community in mid-October while attending the 2023 Imagining America National Gathering. Fellows will attend two Participatory Action Research (PAR) seminars during the spring semester (April dates TBD). The fellowship culminates during a 8 week (June-July) summer 2024 immersion experience. Six students will be immersed in the Bay Area, CA and six students will be immersed in San Diego, CA. The summer immersion experience has three main components: Community Partner Internship, Living-learning Community, and Participatory Action Research.

APPLICATION PROCESS:

NOT CURRENTLY ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS

1. Attend an info session: Email Samantha Giordano <smc6@stmarys-ca.edu> or Adeline Diaz <apd4@stmarys-ca.edu> to schedule
2. Program Overview (READ BEFORE APPLYING)
3. INTERNSHIP DESCRIPTIONS (carefully review before applying) (click here)
4. APPLICATION (click here)

STUDENT LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• Describe and explain key ideas and concepts concerning the social construction of race and ethnicity
• Identify historical and current structures of power, privilege, and inequality
• Explain how racism acts individually, interpersonally, institutionally, and structurally
• Articulate and critically examine personal beliefs and opinions about race, antiracism and anti-blackness and describe the weight these beliefs and opinions carry
• Explain how institutions and policies contribute to and enable ongoing inequities
• Identify some of the many existing organizations that provide anti-racism programming and opportunities
• Learn the underlying social justice issues evident in the work of the community partner organization
• Develop concrete skills necessary to engage in positive social change
• Understand structural barriers and possible solutions to social justice issues at the community partner organization
• Learn and develop a practice of leadership rooted in deep self-exploration 
• Develop attitudes and skills necessary for living - practicing community (eg: curiosity, dialogue, solidarity, discipline etc.)

FINANCIAL BENEFITS

• Conference: All expenses associated with attending the Imagining America National Gathering.
• Food: During the summer, each student will receive a modest weekly food stipend, commensurate with CalFresh benefits amount that they will be encouraged to bring together with their housemates ($40/week). This stipend invites, encourages students into the practice of community and simplicity in concrete ways.
• Housing: Students will live simply together in safe apartment units located at Alameda Point Collaborative OR San Diego  (Total Value per student: $1100-$1,500). Both universities / housing locations will enforce strict COVID-19 protocols.
• Transportation: Each student’s transportation needs will be covered as needed for the summer immersion.
• Fellowship Award: Each student will receive a $4,500 total Fellowship Award. The first payment ($500) will be distributed in the spring after completing the Action Research Seminars. A second ($2000) will be distributed at the end of June. The final payment ($2000) will be distributed upon completing the program.

Official Program Website (click here)