Call for Capstone Proposals!

Capstone Proposal Applications

Applications for Capstone Proposals are currently OPEN!

The Yosemite Leadership Program (YLP) at the University of California, Merced seeks project proposals for the 2026-2027 Social Change Practicum. The Capstone Project serves as the culminating leadership experience for YLP participants prior to completing the two-year program.

Capstone Projects will be conducted from October 7, 2026 through May 1st, 2027 and are designed to provide meaningful, community-centered impact.

Capstone Proposal Requirements

  1. Project Timeline: Projects should be manageable for a team of 3–5 undergraduate students, working 1–4 hours per week over a six-month period (October 7, 2026 – May 1, 2027).
  2. Project Topics: Proposals should address social, environmental, economic, education-related, and/or public health issues or community needs. Projects must involve background research on root causes, relationship-building with community partners, and quantitative and/or qualitative analysis to deliver an impactful service, product, or set of recommendations.
  3. Funding: Students donate their extracurricular time to complete Capstone Projects. External funding or resource support from project partners (e.g., supplies, internships, data collection or analysis) is considered during project selection. Proposals requiring substantial resources must include a clear commitment of financial support.

For more detailed information, please review the YLP Capstone Requirements .

We also invite interested partners to attend one of our Virtual Information Sessions. Coming soon!

All proposers are strongly encouraged to contact the Yosemite Leadership Program Co-Director, Stephany Barrera , as a first step in project proposal development.

 
1 Start 2 Complete
Please identify a main point of contact for the student group.
Please write the name of your organization, department, entity, or affiliation.
Provide a short description of your organization and/or department. (250 word limit).
What is the community need(s) or problem(s) that need to be addressed by this project within the allotted time period? Why is this issue important? Please provide a brief overview of the proposed capstone project. (250 word limit).
Please list at least 3 Project Objectives/Deliverables of this proposed project. What are the 3 specific goals, services, products, or outcomes you expect for project completion?
Listed below are general student learning outcomes for the Yosemite Leadership Program Capstone Project. Each Project needs to meet three or more of the following options based on the proposed project. Throughout the work on this project, students will learn: (select all that apply)
Please give a brief example below of ways in which the Capstone Learning Objectives will be accomplished via your specific project activities. (250 word limit).
Research supports the positive role that an intentional project can play in the career outcomes of college graduates. That said, please describe how this Capstone Project is going to directly impact a student's professional development. (250 word limit).
Please attach any other additional documents that you feel will support your Project Proposal. (e.g. budget document, timeline, webpage, available data, background info, etc.)
Files must be less than 2 MB.
Allowed file types: gif jpg jpeg png pdf doc docx ppt pptx.
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