Liberation is a praxis: the action and reflection of people upon their world in order to transform it. -Paulo Freire
Police brutality, climate change, housing, immigration, sexual violence, trans justice, divestment, and economic inequality. Stanford students are directly impacted by these issues and many are actively engaged in movements to create a more just, equitable, and democratic world. The Praxis Fellowship is meant to support undergraduate students looking for ways to engage in these movements on and off-campus, that are effective, transformative, sustainable, and empowering.
The Praxis Fellowship is a new program at Stanford University. It supports undergraduate students, interested in social change, activism, and organizing by developing their analytical and practical skills as social change leaders and community advocates. The program provides a deep experience in working with service and issue based organizations, develop and support community among students engaged in social justice work, cultivate authentic relationships between students and community partners, and create pathways for students to continue working with community organizations and engage in social justice work beyond Stanford. Students will learn from long-time organizers and change agents, participate in skill-building workshops, study movement histories, and engage directly in movement-building work.
The program includes four components:
A Spring course CSRE 100P
a 4-month collaboration/internship with an organization engaged in community organizing and/or social justice issue based work
community-building activities, including events with community organizations and social movement leaders, a retreat, and shared meals/reflection sessions throughout the year
a capstone project that supports the community partners’ work and deepens the students’ analytical skills