WashU Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement

“The research shows that people who vote once are 50% more likely to vote in the next election [...] We get to start the cycle here at WashU, and that’s a great privilege and an honor. No question, politics is tense and sometimes scary. That’s real. But voting isn’t something that everyone is able to do. So there is a great joy in being able to exercise that right.” Today is #ElectionDay! Our team at WashU Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement has been working hard for the last eighteen months to build plans and partnerships to host two on-campus polling places for the first time in WashU history. We're excited to welcome many first-time voters to kick off their civic journeys and provide this important resource for our students, faculty, staff, and community. Read more about our work ahead of today - and find nonpartisan voting resources - here: https://lnkd.in/gMYkJtrx

Today is Election Day! St. Louis City & County voters can cast their ballot at Washington University in St. Louis's Medical and Danforth campuses 6 am–7 pm. Check out WashU Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement's election information hub to make your voting plan. https://lnkd.in/gjkMV3yv

The polls are open! Today, St. Louis COUNTY Voters may cast their ballot from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the Athletic Complex on Danforth Campus, and St. Louis CITY Voters may cast their ballot from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the McDonnell Medical Sciences Building at the School of Medicine. More details can be found at vote.washu.edu. If you're in line at 7 p.m., stay in line until you've cast your ballot - you have the right to vote! Try to budget extra time when voting in a presidential election. For shorter lines, we recommend avoiding peak times such as lunchtime or evening. Consider going earlier, and bring a friend for company. St. Louis City and County voters can view live wait times on Election Day on the Board of Elections' website (also accessible via our Linktree: https://buff.ly/486ZPuC).

Join us for Lunch and Learn with Filmmaker and Former United States Attorney General Carter Stewart for a short film screening and workshop, Nov. 7, noon – 1 p.m. at Stix House!    After watching the short film, students will workshop the film with the filmmaker. The Short “Lyrical” tells the story of a law student who must choose between separation and solidarity when he and a group of adjudicated youth are challenged by the police.    This event is part of the Public Interest Law and Policy Speakers Series, sponsored by the WashU Department of Educational Studies, the Department of African and African-American Studies, and the Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement.    RSVP at https://lnkd.in/gf9EPyzi to reserve your spot today! @washulaw @washu-arts-sciences

Tomorrow, I'll lead an Election Lunch and Learn sponsored by the WashU Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement and the Office of the Provost. Sign up and learn more at https://lnkd.in/gB_dJSvK

No-excuse absentee voting for registered voters has begun in Missouri! Voters can visit the St. Louis County Board of Elections or the St. Louis Board of Election Commissioners websites to find sample ballots, polling locations and additional information. Voters registered in St. Louis County also may vote on Election Day, Nov. 5, at the Athletic Complex on the Danforth Campus. For the first time, the Medical Campus also will host a polling place, at the McDonnell Medical Sciences Building, 4565 McKinley Ave., for voters registered in the city. Polls are open 6 a.m.-7 p.m. on Election Day. Nonpartisan election information can be found at vote411.org or ballotpedia.org for most U.S. elections. For additional information, contact [email protected] or Otto Brown, Gephardt Institute civic engagement manager, at [email protected]. Share the story:

As part of the St. Louis Fellows Program, Harlem Taylor ‘27 and Daniel Niu ’26 worked at Cortex Innovation District this summer, supporting the organization’s mission to “accelerate inclusive economic growth in St. Louis.” This summer, Harlem Taylor, a Mosbacher Fellow in the 2024 St. Louis Fellows cohort, focused on developing Cortex’s employee skill-building curriculum. Along with developing training for Cortex’s monthly staff training sessions, he also worked on a data compilation project to track the demographics of participants in Cortex’s training programs. He said that his work with Cortex made him more interested in joining the nonprofit world at some point in his career. Read the full story: https://buff.ly/3Yn7CQh (Cortex social graphic created by Public Affairs Manager Tameka Jones.) Do you know a WashU undergraduate student who interested in spending next summer learning from and contributing to St. Louis? The Gephardt Institute's St. Louis Fellows program is accepting applications until Dec. 6! As a St. Louis Fellow, they can expand their civic skills, intern with a local nonprofit or government organization, connect and build community with other passionate students across disciplines, and participate in valuable experiential learning. Head over to https://buff.ly/48butTp to learn more and apply before the Dec. 6 deadline.

Do you know a WashU undergraduate student who interested in spending next summer learning from and contributing to St. Louis? The Gephardt Institute's St. Louis Fellows program is accepting applications until Dec. 6! As a St. Louis Fellow, they can expand their civic skills, intern with a local nonprofit or government organization, connect and build community with other passionate students across disciplines, and participate in valuable experiential learning. Head over to https://buff.ly/48butTp to learn more and apply before the Dec. 6 deadline.

Last month, the Gephardt Institute hosted investigative journalist Michael Isikoff AB ’74, a WashU alumnus and Visiting Civic Fellow. An award-winning journalist and bestselling author who worked as an investigative reporter for The Washington Post, Newsweek, NBC News and Yahoo News, Isikoff is also the author of four New York Times best-selling books.  “I have to say, I was truly impressed by the WashU students I had the opportunity to talk to,” he said, after taking part in panels and roundtables, and striking up many conversations as he revisited his alma mater. “They were very involved, engaged, interested, and curious about our political process, about the state of our democracy, about the upcoming election. That really leapt out at me.”  Read the story about his visit:

We need more people to choose careers that tackle our big societal challenges. The St. Louis Fellows Program supported me on that path as an undergraduate student at Washington University in St. Louis by giving me exposure to the civic landscape through a paid non-profit internship. This year, I was able to pay it forward and be an employer partner at LaunchCode for Dung Tran. The work he did during his internship for us was invaluable and he also learned a lot along the way. Shout out to Dung's supervisors and mentors for creating a great summer experience: Courtney Schlueter, CFRE Kevin Kickham, CFRE and Allison Sissom. Read more about the program and my/Dung's journey below! Donate or have a St. Louis Fellow join your organization next summer.