Ross Rankin
Moody Civic Immersion:
Late Departure

*Applications for the 2026 program are NOW OPEN!*

Wrap Up Your First Year with Purpose! Moody Civic Immersion: Late Departure is your chance to expand your community, reflect on your first year at Rice, and chart your Changemaker journey. Don't miss this opportunity to grow, lead, and inspire.

The Moody Civic Immersion: Late Departure program is open to ALL first-year undergraduate students who did not participate in the Moody Civic Immersion program in the July prior to matriculating. No prior knowledge or experience with civic engagement or service-learning is necessary. No registration fees. Meals, transportation, and on-campus housing will be provided.

Moody Civic Immersion: Late Departure is an immersive, experiential learning opportunity for students to wrap up their first year at Rice with a reflection on how they might engage in civic leadership activities going forward. Students participating in person will attend two orientation meetings in April, which will be followed by a week-long immersion experience in May, right after spring semester finals end. Participants will be able to live in their current on-campus housing during the May experience and will be able to check out late. Moody Civic Immersion is led by current Rice students eager to support first-year students as they learn from community organizations, collaborate on direct service projects, and engage in group and individual reflections. Together, students will collaborate to identify pathways they want to pursue with the CCL and in their academic fields during their remaining time at Rice to use their Rice education to make a meaningful impact in their communities.

Info Session: 

Join us on the following dates to learn more!

• Wednesday, February 4th, noon-1pm, MCC; Lunch provided! Please RSVP here to help us make our order.
• Monday, March 2nd, 4-5pm, Zoom

Click to view the Info Session slide deck.

Dates held:

Orientation Meetings: April 18th & 25th, 10am-2pm
May Immersion Experience: May 6-12, 2026

Eligibility: 

Open to first-year undergraduate students (freshmen and transfers) who did not participate in Civic Immersion in the summer prior to matriculating.

Application & Deadlines:

Apply at: https://rice.infoready4.com/#freeformCompetitionDetail/2002874

Priority Deadline for Applications: Monday March, 9th, 2026 before 9am CT. Applications submitted by this deadline will be guaranteed a spot in the program.

Waitlist Deadline for Applications: Monday April 13th, 2026 before 9am CT. Applications submitted between March 9th-April 13th will be considered, but will be placed on a waitlist, pending space in the program.

CCL Staff:

Rachel Bonini (rb107@rice.edu) 

Site Leaders:

Jesse Muñiz (jm287@rice.edu) and Vanessa De Leon Diaz (vd33@rice.edu)

The Moody Civic Immersion: Late Departure program is supported by the Ross Rankin Moody Civic Engagement, Student Success, and Global Leadership Fund and is part of the Moody Experience at Rice University.
 
“Providing civic-focused experiences to the talented students of Rice University is an exciting and purposeful investment in the leaders of tomorrow.”

—ROSS RANKIN MOODY