Starting this semester, the Institute of American Civics is launching a new undergraduate program that honors Howard Baker’s Volunteer spirit for public service, increases student engagement in local government and politics, and enriches the student experience.  

The institute’s Local Government Fellows program will provide students the opportunity to explore the structures, issues, and interests in the local political arena. They will attend selected city council, county commission, and school board and planning commission meetings, amongst other local government meetings as they follow a project, topic, or function of government through the regulatory and/or approval processes. Students will also have the opportunity to interview local political leaders.

The Baker Center and Institute of American Civics are committed to providing students with immersive service opportunities that jump-start their careers.

The Local Government Fellows program is in addition to the Baker Center’s city government fellows’ program, a partnership between the center and the City of Knoxville to have Baker students become fellows as they worked with different agencies at the City level. In the fall of 2022, the city government fellows worked with the City’s chief operating officer, Communications department, Community Empowerment, and the Office of Sustainability.

Students will have regular meetings with Baker Center Director and Professor Emeritus of Political Science Bill Lyons, who also served as chief policy officer for 16 years with the City of Knoxville before joining the Baker Center as director of policy partnerships.

Upon successfully completing the program students will have earned an honorarium of $1,000. This is a non-credit course.

Application Deadline: January 31, 2023

CLICK HERE TO APPLY