Field placements are a cornerstone of the Coro Fellows Program in Public Affairs. Each Coro Fellow has five placements throughout the program, which expose them to sectors including business, government, and nonprofit. Each Fellow also participates in a Group Project and designs their own Individual Project (their final placement). Through their work at placements and in seminars, Fellows learn how different organizations work and fit into the political, social, and economic fabric of the St. Louis region.

While on assignment Coro Fellows:

• Complete a specific project (or projects) for the host organization

• Learn about the culture, structure, and function(s) of a particular organization

• Gain an understanding of the communication and decision-making processes within the organization

• Observe how the agency interacts with and relates to the community as a whole 

• Provide a unique perspective on the organization’s efforts and impact

Request a Fellow by filling out this form or get in touch with the Coro team at coro@umsl.edu to learn more.

Each year Fellows complete up to five focus weeks about regionally significant topics through a range of pre-determined and self-guided learning experiences in community. Topics vary from year-to-year and have included agriculture, media, tech, and health care. Each year, program staff evaluates the civic landscape to determine which topics will offer impactful opportunities for Fellows. Bring Fellows to your organization for a day to… 

• Tour your facilities

• Meet key leaders at your organization

• Learn about the work you do

Get started by filling out this form or get in touch with the Coro team at coro@umsl.edu to learn more.

Fellows hone effective inquiry skills through interviews with local leaders (and Alumni across the country) like you. One hour interviews are conducted at your workplace, in person at Delmar DivINe, or virtually over Zoom. Get in touch with the Coro team by filling out this form or email them at coro@umsl.edu to get your interview scheduled!

Who do you know who might benefit from hosting a Coro placement or has a key leadership role in the region? Connect the Coro team with your network to support recruitment of Placement hosts, Focus Week activities participants, and interviewees. Ask them to get involved by filling out the interest form or emailing the Coro team at coro@umsl.edu!

Stipends are a key way to enable Fellows to focus on and grow through their Coro experience. Given the demands of placements, focus weeks, and seminars, Fellows often rely completely on their stipends to fund living expenses. All placement hosts generously contribute to the Fellow experience and the Coro community raises the remaining funds required to support livable stipends, robust programming, and key staffing to allow more prospective Fellows to say "Yes!" to an offer to join the next cohort

An anonymous donor has gifted $10,000 to jumpstart a new campaign to support Fellow stipends – add your gift today!