However, we believe that this education is significantly enhanced when students have the resources to develop their own experiences during their time at the University of Florida. Experiential learning opportunities, such as undergraduate research, guest lecture interaction, and mentorship, help students learn by doing. Through these experiences, students gain practical skills that will serve them in their first jobs and careers while developing passions in their chosen field of study.
These opportunities allow students to learn about conducting research, critical thinking, and knowledge creation firsthand while growing their critical thinking, problem-solving, and presentation abilities. These experiences often help students to become more culturally competent, learning to interact with people from a wide variety of cultures and backgrounds – skills that will serve them well in their next step, whether they pursue graduate school or work in industry or government.
Despite all the benefits, many students lack the time and financial resources to invest in their future by taking advantage of experiential learning. The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation has committed to partnering with the AFAM Program to help provide more students with these types of experiences by creating the UF AFAM Mellon Scholars Program, which will help provide undergraduate research and experiential learning opportunities for high-achieving students participating in the UF African American Studies Program.
Program description
The Mellon AFAM Scholars Program will provide students a high-quality experiential learning program that will help to foster their passion for the humanities and the social sciences, while also developing their skills in research and professional development. This program would enrich the student experience in a variety of ways:
- Experiential Learning Stipend: Scholars will receive a $1000 stipend for their participation in the program. This will help relieve financial pressures on students and allow them to participate properly as UF AFAM Mellon Scholars.
- Mentorship: Students will receive mentorship in two ways. Each Mellon Scholar will have a faculty mentor from the UF AFAM program to provide research and critical thinking guidance. Scholars will also participate in the Beyond120 MentorConnect program to connect to an alumnus from the UF AFAM community to broaden their knowledge about the world and connect them to the real-world working environment.
- Guest Lectures: As part of the UF AFAM Mellon Scholars Program, there will be four invited lectures for the UF campus and the local community to participate in each year. Each January, there will be a Martin Luther King, Jr. speaker and community volunteer event. In February, a leading scholar in African American Studies will be invited to give a presentation as part of Black History Month. March will host a speaker dedicated to Women’s History Month, and a speaker in September will be invited as part of Latino History Month to discuss Afro/Latino history.
- Professional Development: Scholars will have four guest speakers who will offer further opportunities for growth and mentorship for the Mellon Scholars.
Mellon Scholars News
- AFAM Mellon Scholars Present at National Black Studies Conference
The African American Studies Program is proud to introduce five of our majors who presented their research at the 47th Annual National Council for Black Studies Conference (NCBS) held on March 22-25, 2023. Presenters range from a first year student to a recent graduate. - Mellon Foundation Higher Learning Grant Opportunity
The University of Florida African American Studies Mellon Scholars Program will provide 12 African American Studies major students with a high-quality experiential learning program that will help elevate their humanities knowledge, while also developing their skills in research and professional development.