The Center for Democracy and Civic Life is seeking undergraduate and graduate students to play leading roles in its 2025 - 2026 programs as affiliates (peer leaders) with the Center. Affiliates include STRiVE coaches (undergraduate students only), Alternative Spring Break (ASB) leaders (undergraduate and graduate students), and ConnectionCorps participants (undergraduate and graduate students).

Applications for affiliate positions are due Friday, April 4, 2025. Use this form to apply. Read on for more information about the positions.

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STRiVE coaches

STRiVE is an immersive five-day leadership for public purpose program for UMBC undergraduate students organized by the Center for Democracy and Civic Life in partnership with the Student Government Association. STRiVE helps inspire and support students in becoming more effective leaders and contributors to their communities, especially the UMBC community. STRiVE participants develop friendships; discover their strengths and values; learn how to work more effectively in groups; envision contributions they could make at UMBC; engage issues relating to identity, privilege, and systemic oppression; and tackle both simulated and real leadership and social change challenges. STRiVE 2026 will take place from January 12 - 16, 2026.

STRiVE 2026 will be facilitated by a team of staff and undergraduate student coaches organized and trained by Center for Democracy and Civic Life staff. Together, the coaches will rehearse sessions and make plans for an intensive, engaging STRiVE experience for participants. Each student coach will be paired with a staff coach to facilitate activities for a small group (a “pod”) that will meet regularly during STRiVE. Coaches will be trained to facilitate pod and large group sessions.

Required time commitments for STRiVE coaches include:

• Fall 2025 Time Commitment:
• Coach Retreat #1: Saturday, September 20, 2025, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. (in person)
• Regular meetings and independent work with your staff pod coach partner, co-facilitators, and Center for Democracy and Civic Life staff throughout the semester, with an average time commitment of 1 hour per week (scheduled independently)

• Winter 2025 Time Commitment:
• Regular meetings and independent work with your staff pod coach partner and co-facilitators, until STRiVE (scheduled independently)
• Coach Retreat #2: Monday, January 5, 2026, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. (in person)
• Coach Retreat #3: Friday, January 9, 2026, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. (in person)
• STRiVE Program: Monday, January 12 - Friday, January 16, 2026, all day (in person)
• One 1.5 hour debrief meeting (date, time, and format TBD) post-STRiVE

These are substantial commitments that STRiVE coaches are expected to balance with their classes and other activities and responsibilities.

STRiVE coaches receive a $1,000 stipend and a zero credit practicum notification (PRAC 121-04) on their transcript for winter 2026.

All undergraduate students are invited to apply. Applicants who have previously participated in STRiVE will be given preference in the selection process.

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Alternative Spring Break (ASB) leaders

Alternative Spring Break (ASB) is a five-day immersive learning experience for undergraduate and graduate UMBC students. During ASB, participants explore the systemic and human dimensions of complex social issues in Baltimore, spending most of the week in small groups focusing on a specific issue or challenge. ASB groups work with community partners, elected officials, and scholars, in part to help participants identify their own pathways to long-term community engagement. ASB 2026 will take place during the week of UMBC’s Spring Break: March 16 - 20, 2026.

ASB 2026 will be developed by a team of student leaders organized and trained by Center for Democracy and Civic Life staff during the summer 2025, fall 2025, and spring 2026 semesters. Together, the leaders will develop plans for a holistic, empowering ASB experience for participants.

ASB leaders will work in pairs to develop small group experiences exploring social issues in Baltimore. Past ASB groups have explored challenges and solutions relating to equitable access to housing, nutritious food, and health care; disability justice; support for youth impacted by intimate partner violence; and a variety of other issues. Leader pairs can develop an experience relating to one of these topics, or to a new topic they propose.

Required time commitments for ASB leaders include:

• Summer 2025 Time Commitment:
• Leadership Retreat 1: Saturday, June 7 and Sunday, June 8, 2025, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. (virtual)
• Leadership Retreat 2: Saturday, August 16 and Sunday, August 17, 2025, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. (virtual)
• Regular meetings and independent work with your partner and Center for Democracy and Civic Life staff in between the two leadership retreats, with an average time commitment of 2 hours per week (scheduled independently)

• Fall 2025 Time Commitment:
• Regular meetings with Center for Democracy and Civic Life staff every Friday from 10 a.m. - noon between September 5 and December 5, 2025 (in person)
• Regular meetings and independent work with your partner throughout the semester (scheduled independently)

• Spring 2026 Time Commitment
• Leadership Retreat 3: Saturday, March 7, 2025, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. (in person)
• Regular meetings and independent work with your partner and Center for Democracy and Civic Life staff throughout the semester, until ASB (scheduled independently)
• Alternative Spring Break Program: Monday, March 16 - Friday, March 20, 2025, all day (in person)
• One 1.5 hour debrief meeting (date, time, and format TBD) post-ASB

These are substantial commitments that ASB leaders will need to balance with their classes and other activities and responsibilities.

ASB leaders receive a $2,000 stipend and a zero credit practicum notification (PRAC 121-03) on their transcripts for fall 2025 and spring 2026.

All undergraduate and graduate students are invited to apply. Applicants who have previously participated in ASB will be given preference in the selection process.
ConnectionCorps participants

ConnectionCorps is a training program for UMBC undergraduate and graduate students aspiring to build skills in facilitating conversations that encourage authentic connection and democratic participation.

During the fall semester, members of the ConnectionCorps cohort participate in weekly training sessions, which will take place on Fridays between September 5 and December 5, 2025 from 3 - 4:30 p.m. Participants also have optional opportunities throughout the semester to hone their skills by facilitating small group conversations within Center programs.

These are substantial commitments that ConnectionCorps participants are expected to balance with class schedules, and other activities and responsibilities.

ConnectionCorps participants will have an opportunity to apply to continue the program in the spring semester to further hone their skills by developing and facilitating their own “Connectionary” dialogue programs in consultation with the Center for Democracy and Civic Life team. The application for the spring portion of ConnectionCorps will be released in November 2025.

ConnectionCorps participants receive a $250 stipend during the fall portion of the program and a zero credit practicum notification (PRAC 121-05) on their transcripts for fall 2025.

ConnectionCorps participants selected to join the spring portion of the program will receive an additional $750 stipend.

All undergraduate and graduate students are invited to apply. (Important: This application is only for the fall portion of ConnectionCorps. Applicants do not need to commit now to applying for the second portion in the spring.)

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Use this form to apply to be a STRiVE coach, Alternative Spring Break (ASB) leader, and/or ConnectionCorps participant for the 2025 - 2026 academic year. Again, applications are due Friday, April 4, 2025.

If you have any questions, you can contact us directly at civiclife@umbc.edu.

Online

The Dresher Center for the Humanities seeks nominations for students eligible to receive the Mary Akaras Scholarship Book Award for $500 toward the purchase of texts. The student should have a minimum GPA of 3.00, should be pursuing a major in a Humanities field, should not already be receiving significant scholarship funds, and should not be in his/her final semester at UMBC. 

Faculty members are asked to nominate students with a short letter of recommendation sent electronically to Kate Drabinski at drabinsk@umbc.edu. A student may self-nominate but a faculty letter is needed in support of his or her application. Letters should include any information, including academic and professional achievements, that make the candidate an extraordinary student. The deadline for Spring 2025 nominations is FRIDAY, MARCH 14, 2025.

(Subject to change. All times ET)

3:00 - 3:05 p.m.  Welcome and remarks

3:05 - 3:45 p.m.  Necessity-driven innovation - Highlighting women innovators who developed products from seeing a need not being met in the market 

3:45 - 4:00p.m.  Resources and closing remarks