The mission of the Community and Economic Development (CED) Fellowship is to expose students to a variety of community or economic development careers and provide networking, coaching, and mentoring to enhance student career preparedness. Ideal candidates will have strong written and oral communication skills, be able to operate appropriately in a professional work environment and be interested in a career in community and economic development.
The Spring 2025 CED Fellowship is now open, and the deadline for all applications is January 31st, at 5:00 p.m. Please click here to apply for the CED Fellowship.
Fellowship Benefits:
- Exposure to community & economic development careers
- Access to networking, coaching, and mentoring
- Professional headshot
- Mock interview
- Arkansas Community Development Society membership
- Community Development Institute Year 1 registration
Fellowship Focus Areas:
- Agriculture
- Arts & Culture
- Business Recruitment & Development
- Education
- Environment & Natural Resources
- Finance
- Government
- Housing
- Non-profits
- Real Estate Development
- Recreation & Tourism
- Research & Public Policy
- Transportation & Planning
- Utilities
Frequently Asked Questions:
What exactly does the Fellowship entail?
The CED Fellowship is a customized experience for our Fellows. The selected Fellows will work with our team at the Center for Community and Economic Development to develop a network in a community and economic development field of their choice. At the Center, we have access to a huge network of professionals across central Arkansas and the state and we want to connect our Fellows to these resources. Activities the Fellow would participate in include job shadowing, organization tours, mock interviews, and we will provide them with a professional headshot. The Fellows’ schedules will be flexible, but we expect that Fellows will conduct at least one activity per month during the spring or fall semesters with a short debrief session with our team to follow.
What are the benefits of the Fellowship?
Our hope is that our Fellows will be more prepared for the current job market and make valuable connections through this process. The benefits of the Fellowship include networking and hands-on experience described above, but also includes membership and registration to the Arkansas Community Development Society (over $100 value), and registration to our Community Development Institute ($600 value, more information available at uca.edu/cdi).
Do fellows have to be current UCA students?
A Fellow does not necessarily have to be a current UCA student, but must be a UCA graduate. Qualified, current UCA students will be given priority.
“I will always have a soft spot for the CCED staff, and I am so thankful for my time there. I really enjoyed the Fellowship Program because we got to visit and network with entities at three levels of community development- State, local, and non-profit. Now, I work for the Arkansas Economic Development Commission which just happens to be one of the places that we visited during our tour. At AEDC Community Development, we work very closely with Shelby and her team because of the relationship that has been cultivated between our two teams.”
Brittany Lutz, Spring 2018
Brittany currently serves as a Community Economic Development Specialist at the UALR Arkansas Economic Development Institute (AEDI)
“Prior to my fellowship and internship with the UCA Center for Community and Economic Development (CCED), I had no experience in community or economic development. The UCA CCED introduced me to this field, and I have not looked back! During this fellowship experience, we were able to connect with and learn from leaders throughout various state and local government agencies, for-profit companies, and non-profit organizations. I was also fortunate enough to make great connections with CCED staff, which helped me choose and get into the Clinton School of Public Service for my Master’s degree. If it would not have been for my fellowship experience, I would not have known about the field I am in today!”
Javier Hernandez, Spring 2019
Javier currently serves as the Arkansas Business Navigator Specialist at The University of Arkansas at Little Rock
“The CED fellowship was my first exposure to economic development, and I have since gone into the economic development field professionally. Through different exposure to state agencies and community development groups, I realized the impact economic development has on the quality of life for communities. I’ll always be thankful for the CED fellowship for providing invaluable connections that I can now utilize at the Little Rock Regional Chamber and for the CED staff and their continued support along my professional journey. From mentor to now colleagues, I consider them valued partners in our shared mission to better our communities and state.”
Mallory McClure, Spring 2021
Mallory currently serves as the Economic Development Team Coordinator at Little Rock Chamber
