Call for Essays

The University of Delaware Center for Global and Professional Services, invites essay submissions from UD Mandela Washington Fellowship alumni for inclusion in a new book, Civic Engagement & Leadership: Perspectives from Mandela Washington Fellowship Alumni. The volume will showcase UD Mandela Fellowship alumni lived experiences, research-informed insights, and practical guidance for advancing civic participation and leadership across communities.

Essays will be selected for publication.

• Open to Mandela Washington Fellowship (MWF) alumni who were hosted by the University of Delaware (any cohort year).

• Individual authorship is preferred; co‑authored pieces (maximum two authors) are permissible if all authors meet eligibility.
  

• One submission per author/team.
  
  

Proof of eligibility: Please include your UD MWF cohort year, country and email address with submission.

Essays should connect to civic engagement and leadership, especially in African and diaspora contexts. Approaches may be personal, analytical, or practice‑oriented. You may choose one of the prompts below or propose your own:

• A civic challenge in your community and how you mobilized people and partnerships to address it.
• Innovations in civic participation (youth leadership, digital mobilization, social enterprises, participatory budgeting, etc.).
• Leadership lessons from success and failure; what you would do differently next time.
• Bridging divides: dialogue, peacebuilding, and inclusive governance.
• Measuring impact: evidence, outcomes, and learning in civic projects.
• Policy to practice: how reforms translate (or fail to translate) into citizen benefit.
• Building resilient civic organizations and coalitions.

Length: 500–1,000 words (excludes title and brief references). Submissions outside this range may be disqualified.

Language: Please submit your essay in English. 

Originality: Work must be original, unpublished, and not under review elsewhere.

Tone & Audience: Accessible to a broad audience of practitioners, students, policymakers and aspiring Fellows. Avoid jargon; define terms.

Evidence & References: Use of examples, outcomes, facts, or data to demonstrate learning/impact. If citing facts or data, include brief in‑text links or a 3–5 line reference note at the end.

Images: Not required. If essential, submit only rights‑cleared images (max 1) with captions and credit. Images must be high resolution, .jpg or .png files.  Use of accompanying photos will be at the discretion of the publishing team. 

Required accompanying materials (submit via form fields):

• Author name(s), country, UD MWF cohort year, current role/organization.

• 100‑word bio (written in third person point of view).
• Title of your essay.
• Contact email and social handle(s) (social handles optional)
• Statement confirming originality and permission to publish and translate.

• Upload as .docx; 12‑pt font, 1.5 line spacing, standard margins. Times New Roman font.
• File name: Lastname_Firstname_MWFUD_EssayTitle.docx (use underscores for spaces).

A University of Delaware panel (faculty/staff with expertise in civic leadership, public policy, and community engagement) will evaluate submissions using the rubric below:

All published authors receive a certificate and a complimentary digital copy of the book.

Selected authors will be expected to do a final review of the edited content during the editorial window prior to publication.

Publishing: By submitting, authors grant the University of Delaware a non‑exclusive, royalty‑free license to edit, and publish the essay in print/digital formats for the book and related promotion on social media and other platforms.

Attribution: All works will be published with full attribution to the author(s).

Permissions: Authors are responsible for securing permissions for any third‑party materials and confirming that content does not infringe rights or disclose confidential information.

Submit your essay using this online form.

For technical issues or accessibility accommodations, contact jentzsch@udel.edu.

• November 1, 2025 –  CFC released
  
  

• December 1, 2025 – Optional Q&A webinar for prospective authors (registration: link - forthcoming
  
  

• January 15, 2025 (11:59 PM) – Submissions due
  
  

• March 1, 2026 – Notification of selection
  
  

• April 1, 2026 – Final, edited manuscripts due (selected authors)
  
  

• Spring 2026 – Book launch & virtual author showcase

We welcome submissions from alumni across languages, regions, and disciplines, including first‑time authors. If you need accommodations for submission, translation, or formatting, please contact the editorial team at UDMWFellowship@udel.edu.

Views expressed by authors are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the University of Delaware, the U.S. Government, or program partners.