Citizen Scholar Program Requirements

2016 Citizen Scholar Brittany Balhouse and a student — Brittany Balhouse, a 2016 Citizen Scholars, explains cancer cells to high school student Erika Gresh.

Eligibility

All Virginia Tech graduate students are eligible to participate.

Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites for participating in the program.

Program Components

To become a Citizen Scholar, participants must complete an independent, self-designed experience that can be composed of multiple small components or one large component; as part of the experience each student must complete at least 16 hours of "citizen-scholar" work. The specifics of each project will determine the length and type of individual experiences.

Citizen Scholar Project

The service project is a self-designed, community-based project aimed at helping the student put theory to practice. Students choose a project that will be challenging and educational. Projects may vary greatly in their scope and time commitment from one student to another. The student and advisor may want to formalize the project through a Special Study (X984) or Independent Study (X974) course for the duration of the project.

After completing a CSE, the student can complete the application form and receive the appropriate approval signatures. Send the completed form to Dr. William Huckle.

Submission Deadline

Nomination deadlines are announced by the Graduate School in the semesters when the Citizen Scholar program is active.

Citizen Scholar Recognition Ceremony

Citizen Scholars are formally recognized at a ceremony scheduled during Graduate Education Week.