Applications will be accepted through June 15 for a new program supporting first-generation students at Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction and Fort Lewis College in Durango.

“The Springboard Fellowship is a chance for CMU and FLC to create opportunities for graduates to thrive in the work force beyond college graduation,” said Charles Dukes, a member of the CMU  Board of Trustees who coordinates youth development opportunities as an educational strategist for the Wend Collective.

“ The community of support graduates receive should not end when they graduate. Rather, it should ramp up even more to support the challenges they will encounter post-graduation,” Dukes said.

The year-long Springboard Fellowship is designed to aid first-generation students during their senior year and after graduation. The fellowship will help students build social capital and develop skills to strengthen their professional networks.

The program will include professional leadership training, private networking events and one-on-one mentoring from industry professionals. Participants will develop their communication and leadership skills while working alongside mentors and community leaders.

Students will have opportunities to attend conferences and professional development workshops in Grand Junction, Denver and Washington, D.C.

The program is free, and students won’t incur travel costs.

The inaugural year for the program is scheduled to begin in September and conclude in June 2023 with a conference in Washington. Participants should plan on committing 8 to 10 hours a month toward the fellowship.

By June 2023, participants will have developed the skills they’ll need to take on job interviews as well as networking events and presentations and ultimately experience success in their professional journeys.

Students who complete the fellowship will receive a $5,000 award, which will go towards offsetting costs associated with starting a career, including transportation costs, relocation costs, purchasing business attire and living expenses.

Rising seniors at CMU may apply for the Springboard Fellowship program at www.supportingcmu.com/springboard-fellowship. Students at FLC may apply at fortlewis.edu/springboard.