The University of Denver's Puksta Scholars Program is a four-year, developmental civic engagement program and intentionally diverse community. 

The Puksta Scholars Program requires meaningful commitment to community work; development of civic skills; and the creation of a sustainable four-year community partnership, mentor relationship, and public work project. While scholars work on independent or small group public work projects, they also work together as a larger Puksta community, supporting and mentoring one another and taking leadership of the program itself in collaboration with CCESL staff.

In addition, scholars are supported to integrate their academics; personal values, interests, and skills; and career preparation with the development of their civic identity and social responsibility as a global citizen. This is accomplished using the community organizing model, and includes curricular and co-curricular personal and civic development training, personal and group critical reflection, and mentoring.

The DU Puksta Scholars Program is structured around three core concepts:

• Building Public Relationships: Working for change requires the building of meaningful public relationships, both with those we agree with and those with whom we disagree.  Students learn to develop a public life and engage in one-to-ones, power mapping, relationship building, and mentoring on campus and in the community.
• Civic Leadership: Solving community-based problems requires a non-traditional style of leadership, one where students work collaboratively across difference; leading with others in the community, not for them.  It also requires the development and activation of personal values in dialogue with shared democratic values such as justice, equality and responsibility to the common good.
• Public Work: Systemic social change takes time, and it requires a community to dig deep into root causes, to work strategically, and use power creatively.  Puksta Scholars work with the community to co-create tangible, sustainable public work that is part of a larger movement to achieve our collective democratic values for more just communities.

The Puksta Scholars Program provides the opportunity for Colorado students with financial need to pursue a college education and develop a civic identity and commitment. The Puksta Scholarship is awarded annually to three incoming first year students who are Colorado residents (defined as having graduated a Colorado high school). The annual scholarship of $6,000, is renewable for four years.  In addition, each Puksta Scholar have access to grants for trainings, conferences, public projects, and paid summer internships. 

For more information on what it is like to be in the Puksta Scholars Program, read our Puksta Profiles.

Application Process

Applications for incoming first year students in 2013-14 will be available in the fall of 2012. Please check back for further details.

Eligibility: Incoming First Year students who are Colorado residents, as defined by having graduated a Colorado high school, can apply for the Puksta Scholars Program after receiving their letter of acceptance from the Admissions Office of the University of Denver.

Selection Criteria: Puksta Scholars are selected based on their ability to articulate a personal commitment to democratic values of justice, equality and responsibility to the common good; ability to critically reflect on their experiences, identity, community, and critically evaluate their behavior as it relates to their core values; desire to learn civic skills, be a part of a diverse community, engage with difference, and practice their commitment to civic engagement; academics (must maintain a 3.0 GPA or higher as a Puksta Scholar); and financial need.

Selection Process: Applications are reviewed by the Center for Community Engagement and Service Learning (CCESL), qualifying applicants will be invited for personal interviews on campus.  Financial need is evaluated by the University of Denver's Financial Aid Office.

Questions about the Application Process: Please send all application-related questions to puksta@du.edu 

The University of Denver Puksta Scholars Program works closely with the Puksta Scholars Programs at the University of Colorado at Boulder (CU-Boulder) and Colorado State University (CSU) in Fort Collins. All three programs are generously funded by the Puksta Foundation.

For further information on the University of Denver's Puksta Scholars Program please contact:

Ryan Hanschen 
Puksta Scholars Program Coordinator
2050 E. Evans Ave. , Denver, CO 80210  
(t) 303.871.4281 | (f) 303.871.3110  
(e) ryan.hanschen@du.edu