From the inception of the Urban Studies Program at Penn, connecting theory and practice has been one of our guiding principles. In this spirit, we offer the Gordon Fellowship, sponsored by alumnus Jacques Gordon (URBS '78) and his family. Winners of the Gordon Fellowship receive a $5,000 stipend to explore a summer internship that improves the quality of life in cities, and will benefit from career mentoring through alumni activities during the school year.
Internships can take place in a wide range of organizations, including public interest, policy research, government, arts & culture, planning and preservation, built environment, community development, education, and advocacy. Internships may be located anywhere in the U.S., including Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories.
Internships should be scheduled for between 8-10 weeks during the summer. Fellows are expected to provide updates about their internship experiences, create a presentation of their work once completed, and to participate in fellowship activities during the following school year, such as advising future Gordon Fellowship applicants and participating in alumni/career events.
Eligibility:
Applicants can be Urban Studies majors or minors finishing their 1st, 2nd, or 3rd year of study. You may apply if you are a 1st or 2nd year student who is strongly considering a major or minor in Urban Studies. Preference will be given to Urban Studies majors.
Proposals: Due by Friday, April 25th, 2025, via email to urbs@sas.upenn.edu.
Please write your name at the top of the application, and indicate your year of study and affiliation with URBS.
Next, include a statement of purpose, which should cover the following points:
1) a description of activities that you would like to undertake during the summer experience;
2) how the proposed internship will support the mission of the Gordon Fellowship – contributing to improving the quality of urban life; and
3) how the internship will contribute to your scholarly, activist, creative, and/or professional aims.
Finally, let us know if any amount of pay is included in your summer internship. We award $5,000 summer stipends, or can provide partial/supplemental funding of $2,500 in some cases.
The Urban Studies Program will make every effort to notify selected students by or on Friday, May 9th.
If you are close to the deadline, would like to apply, but do not yet have a placement finalized: Please do not let that keep you from applying on time. Contact Urban Studies as soon as you can ahead of the deadline, and we'll help you navigate this part of the process! Please always feel free to write to urbs@sas.upenn.edu to indicate your interest, or with any questions.