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Democracy Scholars: A New Living Learning Community for the 21st Century
Building on a successful tradition of immersive living-learning communities and aligned with W&M’s Democracy Initiative, the Democracy Scholars Program brings together a diverse cohort of 24 first-year students with faculty and student fellows from across multiple disciplines. By bridging academic study with active citizenship, the program strengthens students’ sense of belonging, academic motivation and civic and community engagement, preparing them to build meaningful, lifelong careers grounded in democratic ideals. The Democracy Scholars Program is a recruiting opportunity for engaged, motivated students who want to meet others with shared interests and explore ways to shape and lead their national, regional and local communities.
Managed by the Charles Center for Undergraduate Research and its director Elizabeth Harbron, Floyd D. Gottwald, Sr. Professor of Chemistry, the initial cohort of Democracy Scholars will be led by Professor Rebekah Sterling in the Government Department. Professor Sterling is an expert on democratic theory and the history of political thought. Each year the program will explore a theme connected to democracy and civic life. The theme for the 2026-27 academic year will be “Democracy in the Public Space,” examining what it means to engage in democratic values within communities and in public settings and forums. Students will live together in Cedar Hall, one of the new residence halls on Barksdale Field. They will all take a specially designed seminar with Professor Sterling which will fulfill one of their first-year general education (COLL) requirements. In addition, Democracy Scholars will participate in a one-credit course that focuses on the values, philosophy and practice of democratic life and connects students with guest speakers and alumni mentors.