Accelerate Your Social Impact
Through the Miller Center Lewis Family Fellowship, students learn and work with social entrepreneurs addressing poverty, women’s economic power, and climate resilience in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the United States.
Seeking student changemakers from all departments and disciplines. The fellowship is open to students in their junior year. For further information regarding the application process, check out our FAQ below.
Featured Projects
Measuring Impact
u003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eThe fellowship team worked with lifestyle brand Someone Somewhere to improve impact measurement tools that assess the quality of life of its artisans.u003c/spanu003e
Conducting Market Research
u003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eFellows conducted interviews and quantitative surveys with Good Nature Agro’s key customer sectors and provided program recommendations.u003c/spanu003e
Quantifying Environmental Impact
u003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eStudent fellows conducted research into raw materials and production processes and provided a roadmap for environmental certifications for artisan brand LIKHÂ.u003c/spanu003e
Program Benefits
-
Advisors That Know What It Means to Scale
From your assigned mentors to our broad network of social enterprise experts, you’ll get guidance from people who’ve successfully scaled mission-driven ventures.
-
Powerful Connections
Join strong virtual cohorts and global peer communities of social enterprise leaders navigating challenges similar to yours.
-
Resilient Business Model
Apply an integrated framework for social entrepreneurial strategy—systematically building a model that can withstand change.
-
Breakthrough Impact
Discover the growth paths and funding available to you—and select what’s optimal for your mission.
-
Reputable Certificate
Earn a certificate of completion from Miller Center for Global Impact, one of the top-ranked programs in the U.S.
-
Continued Support
Stay connected to programs, funding, advisors, students, and peers as you continue to grow.
Are You…?
A decision-maker
Impact Driven
Earning Revenue
Growth Ready
If you’re leading a social enterprise with strong traction, and you’re thinking seriously about what it takes to scale, you’re in the right place. Together, we’ll navigate the space between momentum and the systems, funding, and market adoption needed for lasting impact.
Frequently Asked Questions
u003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eThe 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. u003c/spanu003e
u003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eOur 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. u003c/spanu003e
u003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eYes, we have academic faculty and librarians who will support the research deliverable.u003c/spanu003e
u003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eYes, 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.u003c/spanu003e
u003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eSummer travel begins immediately after spring quarter.u003c/spanu003e
u003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eYou will receive 5 units per quarter in spring and fall, for a total of 10 units.u003c/spanu003e
u003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eYes, the classes fulfill Santa Clara’s Experiential Learning for Social Justice (ELSJ) requirement.u003c/spanu003e
u003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eAll undergraduate juniors from all disciplines may apply.u003c/spanu003e
u003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eWe accept 14-16 students per year for teams of 2 or 3.u003c/spanu003e
u003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eStudents 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.u003c/spanu003e
u003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003ePlacements are six weeks in country.u003c/spanu003e
u003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eYes, fellows are awarded a $5,000 stipend.u003c/spanu003e
u003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eMiller Center covers all essential expenses, including airfare, housing, transportation, interpreter, visa, vaccinations, and food. Fellows are responsible for optional activities and expenses.u003c/spanu003e
u003culu003ern tu003cli style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022 aria-level=u00222u0022u003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eWatch the informational video belowu003c/spanu003eu003c/liu003ern tu003cliu003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eFill out the u003c/spanu003eu003ca href=u0022https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd0d8RLpDD5XABWoPYanArQ2ZeHUCBGlDI7xd2lpMVlFZe2og/viewform?vc=0u0026amp;c=0u0026amp;w=1u0026amp;flr=0u0026amp;fbzx=589580535459606756u0022u003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003einterest formu003c/spanu003eu003c/au003e u003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003e(u003c/spanu003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eopen year-round)u003c/spanu003eu003c/liu003ern tu003cli style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022 aria-level=u00222u0022u003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eWe highly recommend you attend an optional information session for more information and to answer your questions. Information about upcoming info sessions will be provided after your u003ca href=u0022https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd0d8RLpDD5XABWoPYanArQ2ZeHUCBGlDI7xd2lpMVlFZe2og/viewform?vc=0u0026amp;c=0u0026amp;w=1u0026amp;flr=0u0026amp;fbzx=589580535459606756u0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noopeneru0022 data-saferedirecturl=u0022https://www.google.com/url?q=https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd0d8RLpDD5XABWoPYanArQ2ZeHUCBGlDI7xd2lpMVlFZe2og/viewform?vc%3D0%26c%3D0%26w%3D1%26flr%3D0%26fbzx%3D589580535459606756u0026amp;source=gmailu0026amp;ust=1762280950442000u0026amp;usg=AOvVaw3wvjQxWycvGAoSEOVJKBe3u0022u003einterest formu003c/au003e response is received.u003c/spanu003eu003c/liu003ern tu003cli style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022 aria-level=u00222u0022u003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eu003ca href=u0022https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/0198a027862076c08f822857d5f9fb94u0022u003eApplicationsu003c/au003e are now u003c/spanu003eu003c/spanu003eopen.u003c/liu003ern tu003cliu003eEarly decision applications u003cstrongu003eclose on December 5, 2025u003c/strongu003eu003c/liu003ern tu003cliu003eFinal decision applications u003cstrongu003eclose on January 26, 2026u003c/strongu003e. No applications will be accepted after this deadline.u003c/liu003ern tu003cliu003eEarly decision interviews will be held December 8 – December 17, 2025u003c/liu003ern tu003cliu003eFinal decision interviews will be held February 2 – February 11, 2026u003c/liu003ern tu003cliu003eAcceptance emails will be sent on February 17, 2026u003c/liu003ernu003c/ulu003e
Related News
u003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003e“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.”u003c/spanu003e
