Are you looking to live with a group of students who share your passions and interests in community engagement?Do you want to get a head start on conducting research?Are you interested in learning more about the Williamsburg community inside and outside the walls of William & 玛丽?
If so, then consider applying to be a Sharpe Community Scholar!
Sharpe Scholars live in a residence hall together tofoster interaction among peers who share a common interest in exploring the complexities of community engagement in action and research. Sharpe Scholars are selected to join a living-learning community that offerspeermentoring support,faculty advising, community-based engagement opportunities, and research development to learn and grow in your first year at William & 玛丽.
Applications for the 2025-2026 Sharpe cohort are now open! The applications are due by 11:59pm on Saturday, May 31st.
Priority registration: Sharpe Scholars are included among scholars programs that register earlier for their Fall classes than the general population in order to ensure that they can find courses that truly interest them in addition to the Sharpe curriculum.
Research funding: Sharpe Scholars are eligible to apply for an exclusive $5,000 award to participate in an Action Research Internship or $4,000 complete a faculty-mentored community-based research project over the summer.
Student mentorship: All Sharpe Scholars are matched with a Sharpe Fellow, an older student who has gone through the program. Sharpe Fellows provide direct mentorship and guidance through the program. Sharpe Fellows are also known to host the occasional Halloween party, pizza picnic, or campus hike!
Faculty and Staff advising: Sharpe faculty and staff are eager and excited to talk with students who have questions about research projects, community engagement opportunities, and so much more!
Your Year in Sharpe at a Glance
Living-Learning Community: Sharpe Scholars live together in Cedar Hall, where they're able to collaborate, support, debate, and learn from one another in a safe and comfortable environment. Featuring suite-style housing, multiple lounges and workshop spaces, and proximity to both old and new campus, Cedar Hall is an ideal space to learn more about community engagement and research.
INTR190: Sharpe Scholars come together as a group for the Sharpe Living-Learning course. In this course, you will learn ethical and scholarly foundations of conducting community-based research and get hands-on experience with collaborative research.
Workshops: Sharpe Scholars attend curated community workshops throughout the school year. These workshops provide a wide variety of experiences including deep looks into Williamsburg history and community, direct access to various professors and their research, participation in community art projects, research methodology demonstrations, local volunteering, and much, much more. These workshops grow and change based on student input!
Sharpe COLL Courses: During their Fall semester, Sharpe Scholars choose from a selection of exclusive courses that satisfy the COLL100/150 requirements and introduce students to community-centered learning and research. Courses range from Biology and Environmental Science to Sociology and History. For a full list of courses, see here.
Action Research Pathways: During their Spring Semester, Sharpe Scholars have the option to participate in Action Research Pathways. These research apprenticeships allow Scholars to learn about community-based research hands-on, making invaluable academic and professional connections along the way. For a list of Spring 2025 Action Research Pathways, see here.
Our Goals
By the end of their first year, it is our goal that all Sharpe Scholars will have gained:
A deeper knowledge of the Williamsburg community and the challenges it faces
A stronger understanding of community-based research and the diverse forms it takes
A head-start on conducting research of any kind, community-based or otherwise
An expanded sense of their place in the William & 玛丽 community and beyond
Invaluable academic and professional connections with professors, community members, alumni, and local organizations
Lifelong friendships and partnerships with fellow Sharpe Scholars and peer mentors
Are you looking to live with a group of students who share your passions and interests in community engagement? Do you want to get a head start on conducting research? Are you interested in learning more about the Williamsburg community inside and outside the walls of William & 玛丽? 
