Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer's office is now taking applications for its 2008-2009 Community Planning Fellowship. The program, open to second-year graduate students in planning, intends to engage planning students in public service and to provide practical educational experience. Part of the Fellowship involves attending a planning seminar, which meets at least four times per semester. FHL's Robert Hammond was a guest speaker at this year's spring seminar.

In accordance with a hands-on approach to planning curriculum, Fellows will also log 15 hours a week in the office of one of Manhattan's 12 Community Boards. Projects at the Community Boards may focus on physical planning, policy research, problem-solving, day-to-day matters or longer-term service delivery concerns, and public outreach activities.

Past Fellows have worked to complete community-based plans (197-a plans); develop recommendations on land use applications (ULURP); map and analyze neighborhood conditions; and research landmarks/historic sites.

The application deadline is June 15.

More info about the annual fellowship is available here as a PDF [2], or on the Borough President's Web site [3].