Boise State School of Public Service

Happy 1st day of school, Broncos! We have a couple of announcements to let you know about as you begin your fall 2024 semester:

Our first event of the year, the SPS Welcome Carnival is coming up next Tuesday, August 27 from 4-6 pm on the SUB back patio. Register or just show up! cglink.me/2yk/r375998

The SPS Impact Challenge is now open for interested students to sign up. The Impact Challenge is a reverse pitch competition where students come up with solutions to issues proposed by our community partners. It's a great way to meet people, network and use your creativity. Plus, you could win up to $1000! Learn more: boisestate.edu/sps/welcome/impact-challenge

Attend the School of Public Service Welcome Carnival on August 27, from 4-6 pm on the SUB back patio!

You’ll have the chance to participate in activities, meet faculty and students, enjoy great food and collect awesome SPS merch.

A couple of weeks ago, the 25 Mandela Fellows Boise State hosted this summer along with faculty and staff attended the 2024 Mandela Washington Fellowship Summit in Washington, D.C.

Enjoy some photos from the week!

Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders

Classes begin just one week from today, and we're so excited to see you!🎉

Join us for our event, the School of Public Service Welcome Carnival, on August 27 from 4-6 pm for the chance to win cool merch, participate in fun activities and meet cool people!

RSVPs are appreciated: https://boisestate.campusgroups.com/SPS/rsvp_boot?id=375998

We can’t wait to see you back on campus in just a few weeks, and we’d like to invite you to our first event of the year, the SPS Welcome Carnival on August 27, from 4-6 PM at the SUB back patio. This event is going to be a blast, with free food, activities and socializing! ☀️🕶️

RSVPS are appreciated but NOT required: cglink.me/2yk/r375998

This week marks the would be 100th birthday of beloved Idaho Senator Frank Church. Born on July 25, 1924, Frank Church was a politician from Boise who was well known for his early and effective advocacy for civil rights, defense of civil liberties and protection of civil rights for disenfranchised populations, notably the aged.

He was also one of the nation’s leading conservationists in preserving vast areas of wilderness, protecting wild and scenic rivers, and establishing national parks and recreation areas.

Frank Church remains widely recognized as one of the great statesmen of the United States Senate during one of its most progressive eras.

In 1982, Frank’s life partner Bethine Clark Church founded the Frank Church Institute, whose mission is education, leadership, and public service through promoting civic engagement and understanding of public policy with a focus on democracy, the environment, and international relations, in partnership with the School of Public Service at Boise State University.

As part of the first-ever cohort of Capital Connection students, Saige Caldwell gained hands-on experience in her areas of interest through an internship with Georgetown Law’s Public Defense Clinics.

“I grew a lot in my confidence and independence during the program. I also grew in my confidence in being successful post-grad. It was interesting to see all of us push ourselves in different ways – socially, academically, professionally.”

Applications for Spring 2025 are open now! Learn more: boisestate.edu/sps/dc

Boise State’s Military Science/ ROTC program equips students with the essential tools, training and experiences needed to meet graduation and commissioning standards. For years, our “Bronco Battalion” has provided well-loved traditions to the campus community, such as the Color Guard and Cannon Crew at home football games.

Support our Military Science/ ROTC program by making a gift to one of our most pertinent areas of need. Learn more on the web: https://www.boisestate.edu/sps-militaryscience/donate/

We hope you enjoyed following along yesterday with Anthony and the Mandela Washington Fellows celebrating the USA’s 248th birthday! 🇺🇸🎉

Shoutout to Boise State’s Cycle Learning Center for providing the fellows with bikes to get around the city.

On August 1-2, social studies educators from around the state of Idaho will gather together for Boise State’s Symposium on Civic and Historical Education (SCHE)’s annual conference.

This year’s conference, titled “What Makes a Nation?”, offers content-rich, teaching-centric sessions filled with cutting edge approaches to learning.

Registration is FREE for teachers in the Boise and West Ada school districts, teachers of Concurrent Enrollment courses through Boise State, conference presenters and STUDENTS! Register here: https://www.boisestate.edu/sche/registration/

Exciting announcement!

Boise State's public affairs radio show, The Big Tent, is now available on Spotify, Apple or wherever you get your podcasts.

Check out the new show intro uploaded today! 🔗 https://open.spotify.com/show/6w6k3gej0WaoWiQqnDgPai?si=HzXv8-2QQ86R3GGOBdP90g

They're here! Welcome Mandela Washington Fellows, to Boise State University! 🎉

Our Fellows have had a busy start to their six week fellowship here on Boise State's campus. From participating in Valley Regional Transit's Bus Day Ever, visiting the Boise Towne Square mall and starting their leadership training today, they're getting a crash course in all things Boise! 😊

Follow along on our stories and posts to see everything the fellows are working on while they're here! Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders Young African Leaders Initiative Network

SPS faculty, staff, students and alums participated this week in the Caldwell Police Department's Interagency SWAT School!

The group served as role players for the trainees, who navigated complex scenarios that they could encounter on the streets.

In early June, Boise State’s Idaho Policy Institute (IPI) met with United States Census Bureau Director Robert Santos to discuss how IPI uses Census data to support research and decision-making.

IPI looks forward to continued conversations with the U.S. Census Bureau and how they can work together in the future! For more information on the meeting, click the link in our bio! 🔗

The countdown is on! The School of Public Service is so honored to be welcoming 25 Mandela Washington Fellows to Boise on June 19.

The Fellows will be here for a total of 6 weeks completing leadership trainings, service projects and tons of fun Boise activities.

STUDENTS WHO ARE IN BOISE THIS SUMMER - you can join the fellows for service projects in the community and participate in activities with them. Plus, we're looking for students to show our Fellows around the city and be a friend to them while they're here! Any student can join - just email [email protected] for all the details.

Julián Arreguín Vega (Political Science '24) is headed to begin doctoral studies in Fall 2024 at the University of California, Irvine. He was accepted to the PhD in Global Studies program with two competitive fellowships, including the UC Irvine Diversity Recruitment Fellowship and Student Support Fellowship that provide a full tuition waiver and graduate research start-up fund.

As a McNair Scholar and SPS Research Technician, mentored by School of Public Service Associate Professor Chris Courtheyn, Julián’s research project while at Boise State was titled, “The Lingering Effects of NAFTA: An Ethnographic Dialectical Analysis of Neoliberalism, Resistance, and Hegemony in Michoacán and Idaho.”

It investigated the impacts of the North American Free Trade Agreement thirty years after its implementation. Having conducted fieldwork on both sides of the United States-Mexico border, his findings reveal diverse resilience strategies amid the increasing dominance of multinational corporations and drug cartels in Michoacán, including migration to the US and avocado farmers’ arming themselves in self-defense. The project used a global studies analytic to theorize the relationship between economic policy, migration, and community development strategies.

His research was supported by the McNair Scholars Program, a fieldwork travel grant from the Political Science program, and a research grant from the School of Public Service's Research Committee.

To present these insights, Julián and Dr. Courtheyn are finalizing a manuscript for submission to the interdisciplinary global studies journal Third World Quarterly this summer. Congratulations Julián!

Boise State University

On Tuesday night, SPS faculty and staff members braved thunderstorms to help out at the Idaho Shakespeare Festival for their production of "The Merry Wives of Windsor".

We are grateful to have been able to participate in this experience despite the crazy weather! 😁

Last week, 13 college students from all over Idaho joined together on Boise State’s campus to learn about political systems, diversity and equity in politics and about how politics plays a role in their lives. This program is called NEW Leadership Idaho!

This incredible group of women spent the week learning from panelists and speakers, networking with industry professionals, discussing political topics and learning through experiences such as a mock committee hearing and press conference.

Learn more about NEW Leadership Idaho: boisestate.edu/new-leadership

A few weeks ago, SPS students and Boise State professors helped Global Gardens staff members prepare this field for planting! 🌱

This project was funded by Boise State’s Resource Nexus for Sustainability Grand Challenge, and was a part of the students’ research.

NEW Leadership Idaho is off to a fantastic start today!

College students from all over Idaho are spending this week on the Boise State campus learning about politics and studying leadership skills in the contexts of diversity and inclusion.

Follow along on our stories as we share pictures and videos throughout the week! 🥳

We are so proud of our own Mike Stefancic for this incredible achievement!

Ximena Bustillo graduated with her Bachelor's degree in Political Science in 2020. Now, she's covering the criminal trial against former U.S. President Donald Trump for NPR.

Bustillo credited her education at Boise State's School of Public Service in a recent interview for KTVB, stating "I always say my best degree has been my political science degree in covering politics."

Read more about Ximena and her work for NPR: https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/208/idahoan-covers-trumps-unprecedented-criminal-trial-npr/277-30a999f2-bcb0-4921-94ab-3a1669e8646d

On May 7, the School of Public Service hosted the sixth annual Commitment to Idaho Awards Ceremony at Boise State’s Alumni and Friends Center.

Dean Bos and Senior Associate Dean Giacomazzi honored the late Tracy Andrus with the 2024 Commitment to Idaho Award, and Kevin Richert with the 2024 Enhancing Public Discourse Award.

A number of internal commitment awards were given out to SPS faculty and staff.

Thank you to everyone who joined us in celebrating! 🥳 Read more about the event and award winners: https://www.boisestate.edu/sps/blog/2024/05/school-of-public-service-hosts-annual-commitment-to-idaho-awards-ceremony/

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