Photo from the roundtable mentoring session at the 2024 Student MAP Conference.
Students
The Michigan Association of Planning (MAP) is the Michigan Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA). MAP supports our student members by providing education and networking opportunities throughout the year (such as the Student MAP Conference). Joining APA and MAP is free for students. Click below to join as a student through APA's website. Also, visit our scholarship page to find details on the scholarships we offer.
More details from the November 2024 Student Bulletin:
Opportunity Spotlight:
CEDAM: Community Development Fellowship
"Fellows will be placed in host communities engaged with, or certified in, the Redevelopment Ready Communities (RRC) Program for 15 months to expand their organizational capacity. In their full-time position, fellows work on a variety of projects within their host community to increase local collaboration and remove barriers to development within their community. "
Scholarships (for planning students) actively accepting applications:
OHM Advisors Diversity Scholarship: More information
"Established in 2018, our Diversity Scholarship Program is open to qualified women and minority students who are currently enrolled or planning to enroll in a STEM program or other related field of practice [which includes planning] at OHM Advisors."
SmithGroup Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Scholarship Program: More information
"Each year, we award five scholarships to students demonstrating a commitment to advancing diversity and inclusion in the design industry. The scholarship includes a one-time award of $6,000 to offset the recipient’s tuition at their current academic institution. Additionally, scholarship recipients serve as paid summer interns at SmithGroup offices across the United States (internship is a program requirement). Since its inception in 2018, the program has awarded $210,000 to 35 recipients across the United States."
WTS Michigan Chapter Scholarship: More information
"The local WTS Michigan Chapter is supporting four scholarships for deserving women in Michigan! Three undergraduate scholarships (one being for Junior College/Trade School) between $1,000-$2,000 each and two graduate scholarships at $2,500 each. The women that win at the local level are automatically entered at the International level for their chance at scholarships with even higher values! Details of each scholarship are on the first page of each application."
American Planning Association: Environment, Natural Resources and Energy Division - Student Scholarship Application
"APA's Environment, Natural Resources and Energy Division maintains a Student Scholarship Program for second-year planning graduate students. The purpose of the scholarship is to provide financial support for a student interested and excelling in graduate level studies in planning related to natural resources, energy or the environment."
Professional growth opportunities in the planning world:
American Planning Association: 2025 Student Planning and Design Competition
"This year's competition focuses on the historic Colfax & Federal Clover Leaf, a 46-acre site in Denver, CO, which will also host the 2025 National Planning Conference. This has a rich history, including its role as one of the original roads to the Rockies. Unfortunately, many historic buildings along West Colfax were lost to a viaduct and later a cloverleaf. This site is adjacent to Empower Field at Mile High to the east and multi-family neighborhoods to the west. Students are tasked with developing a plan that thoughtfully responds to the legacy of the area while addressing contemporary needs and opportunities."
Active Planning Student Organizations in Michigan:
Michigan State University: Urban & Regional Planning Student Association (URPSA)
University of Michigan: The Urban Planning Students Association (UPSA)
Wayne State University: Wayne State Student Urban Planners (WSSUP)
Resources for students:
Emerging Planning Professionals: Career Building Resource Guidebook
Prepared by the 2014 EPP Committee Members, the document guides networking, professional etiquette, job search resources, data resources, planning tools & training, and land use resources that planners find useful.
American Planning Association: Divisions
Do you have a planning specialty or interest areas? Choose from among 25 divisions and join a community of professionals with shared interests. Areas range from city, regional, rural, federal, and international planning to environmental, hazard mitigation, housing, and transportation planning to many more topics.
