The ASPIRA LCC Fellows program reimagines professional development at LCC as something collaborative, reflective, and rooted in real student experiences. Fellows are LCC employees who want to strengthen student belonging, community connection, and inclusive practice through intentional partnerships with students and community members.
Purpose
LCC Fellows build trust and connection across campus by collaborating on student-informed and community-engaged projects. Rather than focusing solely on curriculum, the program supports participants in modeling professional communication, building relationships, and exploring ways to make learning more meaningful and inclusive. Fellows contribute to a culture of access, belonging, and persistence by connecting classroom learning to real-world experiences.
Why Participate?
- Help create meaningful change: It’s time to quit talking about what needs to change and time to start being the one to help make it happen
- Elevate your professional voice: Showcase who you are as a professional, add a distinctive leadership experience to your resume or CV
- Make connections: Get to know students on a different level, strengthen your connections with the community or your industry, help students build their own networks
- You get a project partner: ASPIRA is here to help in any way we can to get your project/idea up and running
- Be seen and celebrated: Your efforts matter, so let us help shine a spotlight on the important work you are doing to improve students and campus experiences
- Contribute to campus climate: Show students that ideas can become reality, model what it means to be a professional in your field, demonstrate what commitment to a community looks like, and help shape the LCC college experience.
What Fellows Do
- Leverage their strengths: Complete a CliftonStrengths inventory to discover your key strengths and how you can apply them in the workplace
- Select a student-informed project: Identify an activity or experience that connects learning to student or community realities
- Mentor or co-create: Collaborate with a student or community partner throughout the project process
- Model professional skills: Demonstrate communication, collaboration, and reflective practices
- Document & reflect: Submit a brief deliverable and complete a guided reflection to share insights and growth
Support & Resources
- Mini-Grants: Projects are eligible for mini-grant support (funding is competitive, not guaranteed)
- Tools & Templates: Fellows are guided through the process via a D2L course linked with MS Teams
- Ongoing Guidance: ASPIRA staff provide one-on-one support for planning and collaboration logistics
Eligibility
This program is open to any employee of LCC who is interested in participating. Projects must include meaningful collaboration with at least one student or community partner. Funding preference will be given to projects aligned with ASPIRA services or campus needs.
Structure
- Initial application and proposal
- Regular check-ins via D2L or MS Teams
- Flexible project timeline
- Closing Showcase (optional public presentation)
Apply or Learn More
- Interested in applying? Submit your application
- Want help designing a project? Contact the ASPIRA team
- Need inspiration? View list of potential projects here