“Community Gives Us Strength”: A Discussion with the Director of the Mansfield Institute for Social Justice and Transformation
The application deadline for the second annual Mansfield Fellowship for Activism and Community Engagement is right around the corner. Professor Heather Dalmage is ready to put the new student fellows to work.
“We do work in the community, the juvenile justice system, and over the years we’ve done things like building restorative justice in the community, creating an office in probation for children who are being processed through the criminal justice system and juvenile justice systems, and more” says Dalmage, Director of the Mansfield Institute for Social Justice and Transformation.
The Mansfield family started the Mansfield Institute and its lecture series in 1999 to ensure future generations of the family would remain invested in the world and in social justice. Over time, the institute blossomed into a collection of events centered on those ideals.
In 2021, the Mansfield family provided the funds for the Fellowship for Activism and Community Engagement to build community between RU and Chicago, and to bring students together.
Dalmage wants this program to encourage students to get to know each other, support each other, and learn from each other. She emphasizes her hope the fellows will develop their ideas about how to transform the world and will cherish the new social networks that make change possible.
“I think a lot of students in the past have an idea that they want to do social good with their degrees, but they’re not quite sure how to do that” Dalmage admits. “My hope is that when all the fellows go through this process, they’re going to be clearer about the path they’re going to engage in going forward, that they’re going to have a greater awareness and understanding of the path they’re on, and whether or not they want to stay on that path or maybe pursue a different one.”
The Mansfield F.A.C.E. program welcomes students from all disciplines who are looking to do social good. The program entails coursework, which brings students three credits closer to graduation, a paid internship, and an evaluation process. The directors select fifteen out of the pool of applicants.
Do you want to be a part of this program? Look out for an email from your professors at the beginning of the Spring 2022 semester. From there, you can access the application and fill it out. Application requires an essay, a GPA of 2.0 or higher, and a completion of between 45 and 72 credit hours. The program is for rising juniors.
“We know that at that point, college students have a couple years behind them. But there’s also a point where students really start to think about their future and they need to develop the pathways to those futures,” Dalmage says.
The Mansfield Fellowship is an incomparable experience. The program enhances student resumes with a significant honor and with work experience. Fellows create connections in the Chicago community and in the cohort that can lead to future letters of recommendation, or even a job.
Aside from the academic and career benefits of becoming a fellow, Mansfield F.A.C.E. is character enriching. The program follows Nelson Mandela’s philosophy: “I am because we are.”
As Dalmage puts it, “Community always gives us strength. It’s like one finger trying to lift something versus hands trying to lift something.”