Loretto Justice Fellowship
The Loretto Justice Fellowship program, launched in El Paso in 2023, is a community-responsive collaborative program in partnership with local universities and social justice organizations. Centering local leadership in the pursuit of systemic change, the Fellowship invests in, partners with and empowers students through their personal and professional journeys in justice. And it expands our partners’ capacity to advance justice and deliver critical services in areas where Loretto Community members have been active for centuries. Inspired by Loretto’s legacy and energized by the calls of our times, Loretto Justice Fellows carry Loretto mission and values into the future. The program is supported by the Loretto Community and Loretto Link.
Each academic year, our cohort of Loretto Justice Fellows contribute roughly 5,000 hours of service to organizations in El Paso. Our interdisciplinary and cross-organizational program design enhances collaboration across the justice sector and among our Fellows, through the Fellowship program year and beyond. Through monthly gatherings that offer holistic support programming and connection in community, our Fellows grow as self-reflective, resilient and interconnected practitioners and leaders. Read more on our Fellowship Experience page.
Loretto Justice Fellowship program commitments and benefits include:
- Social Justice Work Experience + Education Support
- Program participation term: 2 semesters
- Paid internship (~$5,000 stipend per academic year)
- 10-20 internship hours served/week (480 internship hours/academic year), role descriptions are approved by university partners and developed with placement sites to provide meaningful support to their teams, visit our Fellowship Partners + Positions page to review internship opportunities
- Supervision + mentorship in collaboration with placement site + university partners
- Education Award funds (~$4,000) to support current + future tuition costs or to pay down student debt
- Holistic Support Programming + Community Life
- Regular in-person and virtual community offerings for Fellowship participants
- Peer collaborative learning, sharing and support
- Professional development
- Personal reflection, mental wellness + self-care
- One-on-one staff support
- Loretto Community connections – local and virtual | mentorship, networking, community
- Local Retreats
- Advocacy, activism or presentation/call to action to Loretto Community or in collaboration with Loretto Community/Committees
- Regular in-person and virtual community offerings for Fellowship participants
My experience with the Loretto Justice Fellowship has reshaped my perspective on community engagement and justice work. Having not only my peers but the broader Loretto Community walk with me during this experience has been a blessing. The bonds I have created within the community are invaluable, being in spaces where people feel the same drive and desire for change as I do has empowered me and filled me with renewed hope about what the future can look like. Being part of the Loretto Justice Fellowship has reinforced that I belong here, in spaces filled with hope, among people who have the same fire for helping, serving and change.
Anabel Theriault, Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) Loretto Justice Fellow 2023-24
To learn more about the Loretto Justice Fellowship or to apply, contact Program Director Annie Rosenkranz through the form below. You can also visit this page for updates, follow us on Facebook and Instagram and join our mailing to receive updates from the Loretto Justice Fellowship, including promotional materials, application instructions, placement site partners + position information, photos and stories from participants, and more.
