Fellowship
Through the Miller Center Lewis Family Fellowship, students learn and work with social entrepreneurs addressing women’s economic power and climate resilience in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the United States.
Featured Projects
Measuring Impact
The fellowship team worked with lifestyle brand Someone Somewhere in improve impact measurement tools that assess the quality of life of its artisans.
Conducting Market Research
Fellows conducted interviews and quantitative surveys with Good Nature Agro’s key customer sectors and provided program recommendations.
Quantifying Environmental Impact
Student fellows conducted research into raw materials and production processes and provided a roadmap for environmental certifications for artisan brand LIKHÂ.
2024 Student Fellows
fellowship alums
projects with social enterprises
university valedictorians
Fulbright Scholars
Frequently Asked Questions
The Miller Center Lewis Family Fellowship is a fully funded summer social enterprise field research-based experience for Santa Clara University junior-level students, along with two quarters of classwork and academic research — one class in spring quarter of your junior year and one in fall of your senior year.
Our social enterprise research projects are based on the social entrepreneurs’ needs, often social science research. The social enterprises will work with the fellows to identify the project scope prior to summer travel. Fellows will create a research paper, which we refer to as a deliverable, for submission toward the end of the fellowship.
Yes, we have academic faculty and librarians who will support the research deliverable.
Yes, all completed deliverables will be published on Scholar Commons, Santa Clara University’s service that enables SCU faculty, staff, and students to share their scholarly research globally.
Summer travel begins immediately after spring quarter.
You will receive 5 units per quarter in spring and fall, for a total of 10 units.
Yes, the classes fulfill Santa Clara’s Experiential Learning for Social Justice (ELSJ) requirement.
All undergraduate juniors from all disciplines may apply.
We accept 14-16 students per year for teams of 2 or 3.
Students will travel to a social enterprise location. Social enterprises are located worldwide, in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the United States. Each year, social enterprises are selected for participation in the fellowship. There will typically be opportunities in multiple countries, but the countries and regions vary from year to year. Miller Center will offer at least one domestic placement each year.
Four weeks
Yes, $5,000
Miller Center covers all essential expenses, including airfare, housing, transportation, interpreter, visa, vaccinations, and food. Fellows are responsible for optional activities and expenses.
You may apply on the Miller Center website when the application is open. For now, please register your interest.
- Fill out the interest form, open year-round
- Watch the informational video below (coming soon)
- We highly recommend you attend an optional information session, for more information and to answer your questions. A sign-up link will be sent after your interest form is received.
- Applications open on November 1, 2024
- Applications close on January 24, 2025. No applications will be accepted after this deadline.
- Interviews will be scheduled for the week of February 3, 2025
- Acceptance emails will be sent on February 17, 2025
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“Miller Center provided me with a once-in-a-lifetime experience connecting my interest in research with problem-solving, helping me become a more well-rounded individual.”