The application asks you to identify what Social Justice Issue Area(s) or other community issue(s) you are interested in being actively involved with as a Puksta Scholars (see list for suggested areas, or you may identify your own): Affordable Housing; Community Organizing; Criminal Justice; Disabilities; Discrimination; Economic Development; Education; Environment; Food, Nutrition, and Hunger; Health Care; Homelessness; Human / Civil Rights; Immigration; Labor; Music, Theatre, and the Arts; Peace; Political Process; Poverty; Racism; Refugees and Migration; Religion and Culture; Senior Services; Sexism; Sexuality, Gender, and LGBTIQA; Violence; or Youth.

 

There are four mandatory essays.  Each essay should address all parts of the questions below and be no more than 300 words in length.  This is meant to be a reflective writing, not a summary of your activities in the community or awards. You will submit these essays through the Puksta applicaton that is accessed via the University of Colorado Boulder Scholarship Portal.

1. One form of motivation used in community organizing is testimonio, or personal testimonial narratives. Tell us a story that explains your motivation for participating in your community. What is your personal connection to the justice issue area(s) that you identified?

2. An essential part of the Puksta Scholars program is translating ideas into action.  Please narrow your broad social justice issue into a statement of a problem and a proposed project that would address this problem. In describing your project, make sure conduct research and present your findings these three questions: 1. What are the root causes of the problem? 2. What work (from non-profits, government agencies, private sector) that is already being done on this issue in the target community for your project. 3. How will your project build on and possibly extend current efforts of these organizations?

3. What are your academic interests? How might your participation in Puksta Scholars enhance your academic interests and how might your academic interests enhance you Puksta Scholar work?  Please note that many Puksta scholars pursue projects that are seemingly disconnected from their majors (e.g. a pre-med student is working on immigration reform).  Successful scholars are able relate their project and academic interests by discussing such things as target populations, content, skills, knowledge sets, and orientation towards social justice.

4. The Puksta Scholars Program is an inclusive and intentionally diverse community in which we learn how to work with diverse individuals and communities (broadly defined). Please describe one experience or project where you worked with and through lines of differences.  That is, when have you worked with individuals, groups, or organizations that are comprised of social identities different from you? What did you learn about working in diverse settings from this experience and /or project?