SNF Ithaca Student Leaders

​The Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) Ithaca Student Leaders program, part of the Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy and Administration's SNF Ithaca Initiative, is an opportunity for five University of Delaware undergraduate students to gain expertise and experience within the interdisciplinary topics of civil discourse and civic engagement within our mediated public life.

Civil discourse, or the practice of respectful dialogue and understanding across difference, is a foundational element of democratic societies and institutions and is a precursor to effective citizenship and community engagement. SNF Ithaca Student Leaders will spend a full year immersing themselves in the theory and practice of civil discourse and civic engagement, establishing a knowledge base and skillset to become active and effective citizens in a democracy.​

Read on to learn more about how to become an SNF Ithaca Student Leader.​

​​Simon Brand

Senior

Major: Public Policy

Minors: Political Science and History​

Jenna​ DeMaio

Junior, Honors Student

Majors: Economics, Political Science-American Politics Concentration, Public Policy​

Amelia English

Junior

Majors: Environmental Studies, Public Policy​

Sathiya Kannon

Junior, Honors Student

Major: Environmental Science​

Caleb Mathis

Sophomore, Honors Student

Majors: Political Science, Public Policy​

The 2022–2023 cohort of SNF student leaders included:​​

• ​Katelyn Fuller
• ​Jeffrey Lin
• Nicole Neri
• Onaedo Okoye
• Hannah Rigoglioso​​

The 2021–2022 inaugural cohort of SNF student leaders included:

• Sarah Cullen​
• Luke Halko
• Moses Martinez
• Katya Raskin
• Samiyah Sherman ​

​Starting in the fall semester and continuing through the spring semester, SNF Ithaca Student Leaders work with the SNF Ithaca Director, program coordinator, and affiliated faculty to design and implement a group project that explores the use of civil discourse and civic engagement in a community-based, applied setting.

​SNF Ithaca Student Leaders will help design and contribute to the SNF Ithaca National Student Dialogue, an annual event to be held each spring that convenes students from across the United States at the University of Delaware. ​

Throughout the academic year, the SNF Ithaca Student Leader cohort engages with and supports SNF Ithaca Initiative programs and events including the annual National Student Dialogue, SNF Ithaca Senior and Visiting Fellows, the Biden School's “All Politics is Personal" series, and the Biden School Civility in Public Service Award.​

​After the academic year, SNF Ithaca Student Leaders continue to develop knowledge and skills for effective citizenship through an internship exploring​ civil discourse and civic engagement. SNF Ithaca Student Leaders, in collaboration with SNF Ithaca leadership, identify an organization that is actively working to advance engagement across difference and intern with that organization for 30 hours per week over the summer. View examples of relevant organizations.

Through the internship, student leaders acquire practical experience in the fields of civil discourse and civic engagement and a better understanding of its relationship to active citizenship and policy decision-making​.

SNF Ithaca Student Leaders are admitted to the program during the spring semester prior to the program starting. Undergraduate students are welcome to major in any academic program at the University of Delaware. 

In order to successfully complete the SNF Ithaca Student Leaders program, participants must complete all program requirements, including:

• Complete UAPP 220: Citizens, Civility, and Change (preference given to those who have already enrolled in the course prior to applying, but course enrollment can take place during participation in the program);
• Participate in regularly scheduled weekly meetings;
• Design and implement a group project that explores the use of civil discourse and civic engagement in a community-based setting.
• Participate in the planning and delivery of the SNF Ithaca National Student Dialogue in the spring semester; and
• Attend and support other SNF Ithaca programming as ambassadors of the SNF Ithaca Student Leaders program.
  

SNF Ithaca Student Leaders receive a $4,000 stipend for the academic year, with an additional $4,000 stipend for the summer internship.

If you are interested in applying or have any questions about becoming an SNF Ithaca Student Leader, please contact SNF Chair of Civil Discourse, Dr. Timothy J. Shaffer, at tshaffer@udel.edu to learn more. Preference will be given to those who have completed UAPP 220: Citizens, Civility, and Change, but all applicants can complete the course during their year as an SNF Ithaca Student Leader. 

Application information for 2024-2025 coming soon.