Students

Hello Students! Welcome to the student page of the SCRA website.

Here you will find resources and opportunities for student engagement and professional development, including information about conference travel awards, research grants and awards, publication opportunities in The Community Psychologist, contests, and more.  We invite you to learn more about the organization by perusing the links (below and in the navigation menu on the left) to resources for students.

If you have questions, comments, or ideas for how SCRA can better meet student needs and interests, please feel free to reach out to your current Student Representatives (SRs) Aaron S. Baker and Raquel Rose at studentreps@scra27.org.

Student Representative Elections

The SCRA Student Representatives seek nominations for the Student Representative position. Any student SCRA member with at least two years left in their program is eligible to run for the position. More information about the role and responsibilities can be found on page 34 of the SCRA Policies and Procedures Manual.

We are searching for students with prior experience in an organized activity within or outside of SCRA (e.g., editing a column in The Community Psychology, being an active member of a SCRA committee or interest group, or other leadership in community-based activities or organizations).

Process: 

Interested candidates must be nominated for the position in order to be placed on the ballot. Potential candidates may self-nominate, or letters may be written by an academic advisor or some other supervisor who can speak for the quality of the student’s potential. 

With the nomination, interested candidates will also submit a 1-page (300-500 words) Letter of Intent which includes the following:

  • Background in the field of Community Psychology
  • Involvement in SCRA and/or community-based/leadership activities
  • Goals for their term as a Student Representative

Each candidate must provide a statement from their advisor or Department Chair to verify that they are a student in good standing. This statement may be included in the nomination or Letter of Intent, provided that the Department Chair’s contact information is also included.

Applicants must be current SCRA members, and membership fees must be paid at the time of nomination. Candidates must plan to remain members for the duration of their term if selected. Additionally, candidates must be committed to fulfilling the term of office while remaining a student for the duration of the term, and before beginning internship or assuming full-time employment.

Key Dates:

  • January 31: Call for Nominations Released
  • March 12: Nominations & Letters of Intent Due at 11:59 PM ET
  • March 26: Nominations & Letters of Intent Due at 11:59 PM ET (GMT-4)
  • April 5: Voting opens
  • April 25: Voting closes at 11:59 PM ET
  • August 6: Term begins

Nominations, Letters of Intent, and any questions about the role or election process should be submitted to StudentReps@scra27.org.

SCRA Student Listserv

As not all members of SCRA are members of APA, we have discontinued use of the APA list-servs for students. Instead, the SCRA Student Listserv is hosted as a Google Group: students@scra27.org. If you would like to join the Student Google Group, email studentreps@scra27.org to request to be added.

Upcoming Conferences

Publications

The Community Psychologist is the official publication of SCRA, published four times annually. It contains columns related to such topics as community health, cultural & racial affairs, environment & justice, and student issues among others. Submissions to the Student Issues Column are managed and edited by the current Student Representatives. Students may also have opportunities to submit directly to The Community Psychologist.

Student Issues Column submissions should be limited to 1-2 pages double spaced and submitted as Word attachments (.docx) in an e-mail message to the Student Representatives at StudentReps@scra27.org. Authors should adhere to The Community Psychologist guidelines and any additional guidelines for specific Calls for Submissions to the Student Issues Column. As the column editors, the Student Representatives will review submissions and correspond with authors about the status. Suggested edits may be required or recommended for final inclusion in the column. If included in the column, the Student Representatives will submit the final version to The Community Psychologist editors. 

Call for Submissions

  • Fall 2022: Bringing It Back to Community: Perspectives from Students on Community (due July 15th)
  • Winter 2022: Student Insights into the Exploration, Evolution, or Critique of Community Psychology Methodologies or Practices (due October 15th)
  • Spring 2023: Vision for the Community Psychology Profession (due January 15th)
  • Summer 2023: Student Practice and Research Highlights (due April 15th)

Education & Training

Looking for information about academic programs in community psychology? Please visit The Council for Education Programs for programs and postdoctoral opportunities.

Looking for employment? Check out our Jobs Board.

The Community Tool Box— The Community Tool Box is a free, online resource for those working to build healthier communities and bring about social change. It offers thousands of pages of tips and tools for taking action in communities.

Get Involved

Not yet a member of SCRA? Join here!

There are many ways to get involved with SCRA. The best way to get involved with SCRA is through our Committees, Councils, and Interest Groups, most of which have their own listservs.

Get involved in your region. There may be opportunities to participant in regional activities, meetings, conferences, or leadership positions such as Student Regional Coordinators.

Consider getting involved with the Executive Committee. Each year, a new Student Representative is elected by student members. Nominations (self or referral) are due mid-January with elections occurring in April and terms beginning in mid-August. 

Other Organizations

Our members are engaged with a range of different activities and organizations outside of community psychology. Here are just a few:

American Psychological Association—The American Psychological Association is the largest scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States. APA is the world's largest association of psychologists, with nearly 130,000 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students as its members.

American Psychological Association of Graduate Students—APAGS builds a better future for psychology by serving as a united voice to enrich and advocate for graduate student development. APAGS aspires to achieve the highest quality graduate training experience for the next generation of scientific innovators, expert practitioners and visionary leaders in psychology.

Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues—SPSSI is an association of approximately 3000 psychologists, allied scientists, and others, who are interested in the application of research on the psychological aspects of important social issues to public policy solutions.

American Public Health Association—The American Public Health Association champions the health of all people and all communities. We strengthen the profession of public health, share the latest research and information, promote best practices and advocate for public health issues and policies grounded in research.

American Evaluation Association—The American Evaluation Association is an international professional association of evaluators devoted to the application and exploration of program evaluation, personnel evaluation, technology, and many other forms of evaluation. Evaluation involves assessing the strengths and weaknesses of programs, policies, personnel, products, and organizations to improve their effectiveness.

Psi Chi—The International Honor Society in Psychology