Advocating Change Through Service (ACT) Fellowship provides motivated Caltech students with unique opportunities to learn about themselves and their place within society by volunteering to impact the world through community engagement, activism and leadership. From the challenge of feeding thousands of homeless living on the streets of Los Angeles to the devastating impact of AIDS in Africa and the importance of advocating the U.S. stand on global warming, the issues facing today's society are abundant and pressing. This is your opportunity to decide what you are passionate about and to take a proactive role to address that issue!

Funding will provide for the award of two 10-week ACT Fellowships in 2008. A full-time fellowship award will provide a $6,000 stipend for a student volunteering 40 hours per week and a part-time fellowship award will provide a $3,000 stipend for a student volunteering 20 hours per week.

Overview
The purpose of the Caltech Y ACT Fellowship is to promote the exploration of community challenges and pressing public issues and to develop an understanding of the forces which are impacting these societal concerns. The ACT Fellowship has been established with the following goals:

• Encouraging personal growth through direct involvement with a service or cause
• Making a contribution towards the betterment of society
• Promoting awareness and engagement of the service or cause, specifically within the Caltech community

Eligibility

• Applicant must be enrolled as an Undergraduate or Graduate student at the California Institute of Technology
• Applicants should be in good academic standing and need to be eligible for fall term registration before beginning the Fellowship
• Applicant m ust be 18 years or older

Description of Fellowship

The ACT Fellowship is an opportunity to pursue an interest or passion in the area of community service or advocacy. The applicant will determine whether she/he is applying for the full- or part-time fellowship, what service or cause to address, the mentoring or partnering organization with whom she/he would like to volunteer and the nature of the awareness and engagement campaign targeting the Caltech community. This Fellowship has been created to help Caltech students expand their understanding of the world by providing an opportunity which otherwise may not be available on campus. Academic and research focused proposals are discouraged.

Duration and Funding
The applicant is required to indicate whether she/he is applying for the full- or part-time fellowship on their application. Students applying for a full-time commitment are strongly discouraged from taking classes, holding an additional job and/or another fellowship during the duration of the ACT Fellowship. The part-time fellowship opportunity has been created for students who cannot commit to a full-time volunteer situation. Part-time applicants must include within their proposed volunteer plan an anticipated schedule for the fulfillment of their 20 hour per week commitment. Schedule variations of less than 10 weeks or 20 hours per week may be considered, but Y staff must be consulted prior to the inclusion of an abbreviated schedule in a proposal.

The stipend is provided for your volunteer efforts. Any expenses incurred during the 10-week Fellowship period, including travel, lodging, food and incidentals expenses, are the responsibility of the Fellow.

Fellowship Volunteer Plan
To ensure the success and impact of the ACT Fellowship, advanced planning and post- promotional activities will be required of the Fellow. Once selected, the Fellow will need to fulfill the following volunteer plan requirements:

Spring Term - Preparation for Service and Advocacy

• It is the Fellow’s responsibility to research all vaccination and visa requirements for her/his intended volunteer location; Begin this process early in the Spring Term to allow sufficient processing time
• In consultation with your mentor organization, finalize an agreement covering your duties, their expectations and the reporting structure
• Complete an annotated bibliography for 7-10 relevant readings; Each bibliographic entry needs to be accompanied by a brief summary of the reading
• Host a meeting to discuss and share your preliminary research and anticipated volunteer plan with Y staff and the representative from your mentor organization
• If traveling abroad, research travel advisories and vaccination requirements and if a travel advisory exists, provide a commentary on how you'll manage these concerns

Summer Term - On-Site Service and Advocacy

• Complete full-time or part-time volunteer activities for the 10-week period (unless an alternative schedule has been approved) by Friday, September 26, 2008
• Meet with your mentor on a minimum weekly basis
• Submit weekly update e-mails summarizing progress to date to the Y

Following Academic Year - Awareness and Engagement Campaign for Service or Cause

• Submit a 3-4 page final report and program evaluation to the Y
• Meet with Caltech Y staff to finalize awareness campaign for Caltech community
• Give an overview presentation to members of the Y Staff and Board of Directors, as well as members of the Mentor Organization, to summarize your experience
• Conduct your Caltech campaign

Help from the Caltech Y
The Caltech Y is here to help you! You are encouraged to stop by with any questions during the application process. Staff will gladly provide guidance to help you identify a prospective mentor organization, develop your application, oversee preparation efforts, create a well-balanced partnership with your mentor organization and create your awareness and engagement campaign.

Contact Information:
All Y staff can be reached at 626-395-6163
Greg Fletcher, gregf@caltech.edu
Molly Jones, mollyj@caltech.edu
Athena Castro, athena@caltech.edu
Chris Kealey, ckealey@caltech.edu