YLP Capstone Proposals

Applications for Capstone Proposals are currently OPEN!

Project period: October 7, 2026 – May 1, 2027

Proposal deadline: August 2, 2026

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 are designed to provide meaningful, community-centered impact and are developed in partnership with community organizations, campus groups, or other external partners.

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.

More Information

For detailed requirements, please review the full YLP Capstone Requirements document.

View Capstone Requirements

We also invite interested partners to attend one of our In-Person Information Sessions. All sessions are held locally in the Merced area:

  • July 6th & 7th 1PM - 5PM at Coffee Bandits 309 W Main St. Merced, CA 95340
  • July 13th & 14th 1PM - 5PM at Coffee Bandits 309 W Main St. Merced, CA 95340
  • July 20th & 21st 1PM - 5PM at Coffee Bandits 309 W Main St. Merced, CA 95340
  • July 27th & July 28th 1PM - 5PM at Coffee Bandits 309 W Main St. Merced, CA 95340
  • Every Wednesday in July 1PM - 5PM on campus in KL 172

All proposers are strongly encouraged to contact YLP Co-Director Stephany Barrera (sbarrera7@ucmerced.edu) as a first step in project proposal development.

Ready to get started? Contact Stephany Barrera (sbarrera7@ucmerced.edu) at the Yosemite Leadership Program.

 
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).
How did you hear about this opportunity?
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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