CS+Social Good Spring and Summer Fellowship 2021
The Haas Center and CS+Social Good (a student-led organization) have partnered to launch the CS+Social Good Spring and Summer Fellowship program, which includes self-designed and pre-arranged fellowship placements.
Through the CS+Social Good Spring and Summer Fellowship, students will receive funding and support to work with an organization using technology to address social issues. Selected fellows will gain unique industry experience at a public interest technology company under the mentorship of an industry expert or faculty member.
Each CS+Social Good Fellow receives a base stipend of $5,500 to cover most of the essential costs associated with an unpaid service experience. Financial aid and supplemental funding is available to students who qualify.
Visit this page for information on previous fellows' community partners and projects.
Funding for this initiative has been generously provided by the John and Andrea Hennessy Cardinal Quarter Fund and Haas Center donors as part of the Cardinal Quarter program.
Design your own CS+Social Good fellowship, or apply to one of our pre-arranged fellowship opportunities!
In the application, students will select whether they have are applying with an organization they have contacted on their own, or if they wanted to be matched with a CS+ Social Good Partner. Most Spring quarter fellowships will be self-designed; all Summer quarter fellowships will be prearranged with a CS+Social Good Partner organization.
This year, CS+Social Good is partnering with seven tech-aided non-profits and government agencies:
- Accountability Counsel, a San-Francisco-based non-profit that advocates for human rights and environmental preservation on behalf of disenfranchised people across the world.
- City of San José Mayor’s Office of Technology and Innovation, the branch of the Mayor's office which leverages technology to address pressing issues facing the City of San José, CA.
- Chopra Foundation, a foundation in India tackling extreme poverty by distributing smartphones and teaching the digital skills to rural Indians.
- Recidiviz, a non-profit in San Francisco building open source technical infrastructure to help the criminal justice system end mass incarceration and focus on better outcomes for the public and the individuals in the system.
- Raheem, an organization in Oakland that operates as an independent service for reporting police conduct in the United States.
- Schoolhouse.world, an initiative partnered with Sal Khan of Khan academy that pairs tutors with folks who would like tutoring.
For descriptions of the jobs above, see this document. For help finding an organization to connect with, visit our list of hot leads here.
Eligibility:
For complete eligibility requirements, please review our program policies in its entirety.
Currently, enrolled first-years, sophomores, juniors, and seniors (who will return to campus next fall) at Stanford from all academic disciplines are encouraged to apply, and applicants may vary in academic interests, public service involvement, and experience. Priority will be given to students who have completed fewer than two previous Cardinal Quarter opportunities. Graduating seniors are only eligible for Round 2 opportunities if funding is available, and the Round 2 deadline may be in April. Students who have begun their coterm programs are not eligible to apply. 1 reference is required for the application. References from fellow undergraduates are not permissible; however, we allow references from faculty, graduate teaching assistants, co-workers, and any person who knows you well and can provide new insights about you.
Requirements:
Selected CS+Social Good Fellows are expected to begin service no later than April 12, 2021 if participating in the Spring fellowship, and and no later than July 6, 2021 if participating in the Summer fellowship. All fellows are required to work full time with their community partners at least 35 hours/week for nine consecutive weeks at their placements. Fellows must take their Flex Term and have been already enrolled in two quarters during the quarter in which the fellowship take place, and may be expected to work remotely with their host organization depending on forthcoming university policy, with a designated full-time professional staff member on-site as their supervisor/mentor. Other requirements are listed below.
For self-designed fellowships
The Community Partner Supervisor must agree to host an undergraduate fellow during the summer of 2021 and fulfill the following responsibilities:
- Provide the fellow with mutually beneficial, substantive work projects, appropriate on-site work space, and ongoing supervision and guidance in the completion of tasks, with weekly or biweekly check-in meetings.
- Adhere to Stanford University’s non-discrimination and sexual harassment policies.
- Review and discuss the learning plan with the fellow at the start of the fellowship.
- Conduct a professional exit interview with the fellow.
- Submit online midpoint and end-of-summer evaluations.
For pre-arranged fellowships
Spring Quarter
- Complete the program orientation.
- Attend the Engaging in Ethical and Effective Service workshop.
- Identify and meet with academic mentor at least once.
- Design a personal learning plan for the spring and share the plan with community partner and academic mentor.
- Attend workshop and events organized for the CS+Social Good Spring Fellows.
- Students participating in an international service project must complete international service preparation requirements.
Summer
- Communicate regularly with mentors.
- Submit a brief preliminary report.
- Submit a final report, complete a program evaluation, and correspond with fellowship donor(s) as requested by fellowships program staff.
Autumn Quarter
- Meet with academic mentor at least once.
- Attend a de-briefing meeting for the purpose of reflecting upon and evaluating summer experiences.
- Participate in outreach activities to share your experiences and help publicize the program.
Selection Process:
For those who seek assistance, advising is offered to help students develop their applications.
Students are strongly encouraged to discuss ideas for placements with program staff well before the application deadline to identify appropriate/relevant opportunities and prepare effective application materials. Developing a suitable summer placement takes time, so it is important to start the application process early and consult with professors, advisors, and community partners regularly.
This fellowship is intended for individuals whose application, references, and interview demonstrate
- an integration of the fellowship experience with applicant’s academic, personal and/or career goals
- prior demonstrated interest or involvement in the subject area, including related coursework
- a compelling match between applicant’s skills and interests and an organization’s work and needs
- strong potential for the fellowship experience to enlarge a candidate’s understanding of an identified community issue or challenge
First, complete applications are screened, and then finalists are interviewed. Finally, fellows are selected by a committee with the intention to award fellowships prior to spring break. Applicants should respond promptly (within 48 hours) via email to a fellowship offer, or the offer will be rescinded. Once an applicant accepts a fellowship offer, the student should promptly notify all other Stanford and non-Stanford programs to which they have applied that they have accepted another offer and to withdraw their candidacy.
