2026 Summer Community Service Fellowship Program
Program Description
The Harvard Club of Southern Connecticut (HCSC) will offer up to five (5) in-person fellowships of $8,000.00 each for 10 weeks of full-time work to current Harvard undergraduates and graduating seniors in our territorial area in Connecticut whom wish to pursue public service projects during the summer. Housing and living arrangements are the responsibilities of the recipient, as are any costs incurred over and above the stipend.
Public Service
Public Service is defined as work that
•helps people meet their needs for food, shelter, and health;
•improves education and employment opportunities;
•educates people about their legal and/or civil rights;
•protects the environment or wildlife; and/or
•supports social issues affecting the general welfare
The proposed community service organization must be non-profit and non-partisan.
Eligibility
Freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and first-semester seniors returning to Harvard in the Fall and graduating seniors are eligible. Applicants should demonstrate interest in and commitment to public service. Students must also be in good academic and disciplinary standing.
Selection Criteria, Priority, and Preference
Applications will be selected in the following order of priority:
1. Students who reside in our Club's territorial area who will perform their community service within our Club's territorial area;
2. Students who reside in our Club's territorial area who will perform their community service for an organization located anywhere within the State of Connecticut;
3. Students who reside in our Club's territorial area who will perform their community service outside the State of Connecticut, including at Harvard or internationally;
4. Students who reside in the State of Connecticut who will perform their community service within our Club's territorial area; and
5. Students who reside in the State of Connecticut who will perform their community service within the State of Connecticut.
6. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary above, any application to perform service for the State of Connecticut or for any agency, department, entitiy or employee thereof shall not be awarded unless and until all of the five (5) foregoing priorities have been considered and a fellowship vacancy still remains.
7. Applications filed on or before the application deadline will be given priority
Harvard Club of Southern Connecticut's territorial area includes these cities and towns:
•All of New London County;
•All of New Haven County;
•All of Middlesex County;
•Fairfield County: Bridgeport, Easton, Fairfield, Huntington, New Fairfield, Newtown, Monroe, Sandy Hook, Shelton, Sherman, Stratford, Trumbull;
•Hartford County: Bloomfield, Southington, Marlborough;
•Litchfield County: Bethlehem, Bridgewater, Cornwall, Goshen, Kent, Litchfield, New Milford, Roxbury, Torrington, Washington, Washington Depot, Watertown, Woodbury;
•Windham County: Moosup, Plainfield.
Preference:
1. Applicants who reside in our Club's territorial area as defined above;
2. Applicants who do not reside in our Club's territorial area but who were admitted through our Club's Schools and Scholarships Committee;
3. Applicants who are applying for the HCSC summer community service fellowship for the first time;
4. Applicants will also be selected by the HCSC on the basis of the quality, clarity, feasibility, and impact of their proposals for summer community service.
***Students also have the flexibility of locating an organization with which to work in the HCSC's territorial area.
***Preference is given to internships located in Connecticut; however, the Club will consider internships elsewhere.
Approved Host Organizations
The Harvard Club of Southern Connecticut has partnered with the following "host organizations" which are offering in-person fellowship positions to student applicants for the Summer of 2026.
New Haven Reads
Through the incredible power of literacy, New Haven Reads (NHR), transforms the lives of children, their families, and the communities in which they live. Since NHR was founded in 2001, we have supported more than 10,000 students and distributed over 2.8 million books back into the community. Today, the one-on-one tutoring program serves nearly 400 children every at six different New Haven locations. Last year, our Book Bank distributed approximately 80,000 free books and we are on track to give away over 90,000 titles this school year. Make a difference in the lives of young readers from across the Greater New Haven area. Our mission is "to empower aspiring readers to master the literacy skills they need to thrive." As our Summer Literacy Fellow, you will develop meaningful relationships with students through one-on-one reading, tutoring and summer enrichment clubs. We are looking for a Fellow to support our Book Bank as well as help our students build confidence and avoid the "Summer Slide."
45 Bristol Street
New Haven, CT 06511
Contact: Hayley Herrington, Education Director
Phone: 203-752-1923
Email: hayley@newhavenreads.org
Valley Community Foundation (VCF)
Overview: The Valley Community Foundation (VCF), located in Derby, Connecticut, is a trusted nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing the quality of life in the five-town region of Ansonia, Derby, Oxford, Seymour and Shelton. Founded in 2004, VCF supports local non profits through grantmaking, promotes philanthropy, and manages more than 260 charitable funds and scholarships established by Valley individuals and organizations. With more than $39.1 million in assets, VCF strives to build a stronger, more resilient Valley community by addressing critical needs, fostering collaboration, and investing in community-driven solutions
Proposed Internship Role: The Harvard Summer Fellow will focus on enhancing VCF social media outreach and digital engagement. The intern will play a key role in developing and implementing a strategic social media plan to increase awareness about VCF's mission, initiatives, and impact on the community. This project will provide the intern with hands-on experience in nonprofit communications, digital strategy, and community outreach.
Intern Responsibilities:
1. Assess VCF's current social media presence and identify areas for improvement.
2. Develop a comprehensive social media strategy to increase engagement and outreach, including platform selection, content creation, and scheduling.
3. Create and manage VCF's digital content, such as posts, fundholder stories, and videos, highlighting the foundation's grant recipients, community events, and ongoing campaigns like the Valley Gives Back planned giving iniative.
4. Monitor analytics and metrics to assess the effectiveness of social media campaigns and adjust strategies as needed.
5. Propose and manage any new digitial platforms or initiatives to expand VCF's online presence.
6. Collaborate with VCF staff and partners to gather content and ensure alignment with the foundation's mission and messaging.
Learning Opportunities
The selected intern will gain practical experience in the following:
- Community Foundations and nonprofit communications.
- Strategic planning and project implementation in a community-focuses setting.
- Engaging with diverse community stakeholders and enhancing digital storytelling skills.
- Understanding the role of a community foundation in fostering local philanthropy and addressing social neeeds.
- This fellowship will be a valuable opportunity for a Harvard student to apply their skills in digital media and public service while making a tangible impact on the Valley community. The role is designed to align with the intern's interests and strengths, providing an experirence that contributes to VCF's mission of Building Community and uplifting the Valley now and for generations to come.
Valley Community Foundation
253-A Elizabeth Street
Derby, CT 06418
Contact: David Rivera, Communications & Marketing Manager
Phone: 203-751-9162
Email: drivera@valleyfoundation.org
www.valleyfoundation.org
Ely Center of Contemporary Art ("ECOCA")
The Ely Center is New Haven's oldest contemporary arts venue, located in a historic house on Trumbull Street, the gateway to the Yale campus and to downtown New Haven. We have been focusing our attention to arts in the role of healing. This ranges from environmental healing (ex: how arts can challenge/bring awareness to climate change) to personal stories and how art can be a place of comfort, safety and wellbeing. This summer ECOCA will be exhibiting "Body's First Architecture," a group curated by Leeza Meksin and Tamar Ettun. This exhibition explores the various ways in which fabric and clothing are being employed by contemporary artists in a wide range of applications and aesthetics that foreground the body's needs for healing and care. What is the body's first dwelling, first home? Simultaneously, ECOCA will be running its second annual Summer Apprenticeship Program (SAP) for New Haven Public High School students. This program brings in an established artist to work with 10-15 local teens to create a collaborative work of art. The participating students get an honorarium for their time and work. Our Summer Fellow will help with the running of SAP, contacting parents and students, helping to plan field trips and oversee the students by assisting the mentoring artist as well as planning the public reception to celebrate the work created during sAP. Parents, NHPS Teachers and Staff, and City Officials are invited to this event. Depending on their interests, the Fellow may also set up a series of public programs around the summer exhibitions, which include "Body's First Architecture" and works by the Spring '25 Keyhold Workspace Residency artists (TBD.) We prefer the Fellow to work in person work; however, we can be accommodating for a blend of in person and remote work.
51 Trumbull Street
New Haven, CTD 06510
Contact: Aimee Burg, Gallery Director
Email: aburg@elycenter.org
Please take a virtual tour of our space: http://www.elycenter.org/witchy-virtual-tour
The Connecticut Hospice
There are many possibilities for this internship based on the student's interests. Since the 1970's, CTH has offered Home Health, Hospice, and Short-Term Hospital-Special Hospice services. Recently,we expanded our Outpatient Palliative Care and were selected as a Participating Provider in the new CMS Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE) program. Our GUIDE program, known as Stand by Me enhances caregiver support and care transitions to improve the lives of persons living with dementia and their caregivers. Stand by Me leverages our well-tested navigation and caregiver support strategies, to provide a better patient/caregiver experience for GUIDE participants and support people living with dementia and their caregivers through the inevitable transitions in care that disease progression demands. We have a special interest in developing a robust plan for outreach to vulnerable populations in New Haven County as part of our Multicultural Health Initiative. Our priority for 2026 is reaching marginalized populations who could benefit not only from our hospice/palliative care but also from the services and supports GUIDE can provide.
100 Double Beach Road
Branford, CT 06405
Contact: Barbara L. Pearce
Phone: 260-640-7067
Email: bpearce@hospice.com
www.hospice.com
Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy
The Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy seeks interns for Summer 2025. The internship will follow a hybrid format, with the majority of your work being done remotely. The Center has a diverse workload, with projects focusing in sustainable finance, international sustainability, trade and the environment, sustainability metrics, and connecting the latest environmental research with policymakers around the world. While the Center’s summer research needs cannot yet be ascertained, past summer interns have been fully integrated onto existing research assistant teams and have participated in high-level policy research efforts; the writing, organizing, and editing of articles and books; and outreach efforts to news outlets and policymakers directly.
Candidates with a diverse set of backgrounds and experiences are welcome to apply. Particularly successful interns and research assistants have had strong writing and editing skills; experience in campaigns, government, or NGOs and think tanks; and a background in policymaking, even if not directly in the energy, environment, and sustainability arena.
195 Prospect Street
New Haven, CT 06511
Contact: Lillie Steinhauser, Administrative Director
Phone: 203-436-5182
Email: lillie.steinhauser@yale.edu
INSTRUCTIONS FOR APPLICANTS
HARVARD CLUB OF SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT
SUMMER COMMUNITY SERVICE FELLOWSHIPS
Check out the link to the student application page. All instructions for applying are there. Completed applications are to be submitted solely through the CARAT system. Once you click on the student application page link, you will see more information.
The student application window is open from February 16, 2026 - March 29, 2026.
Any questions, contact Dan Beebe or Samantha Levin:
Dan Beebe AB ’04, Chairman, HCSC Summer Community Service Fellowship Committee at danbeebe@post.harvard.edu or 860-608-4812
Samantha Levin at the Center for Public Interest Careers (CPIC) at Phillips Brooks House at samantha_levin@fas.harvard.edu