Summer Fellowship Benefits

The fellowship award includes:

Stipend: $3,000 for 8 weeks of service; $750 every two weeks.

Orientation and Closing Events: A full day of in-depth orientation to New Haven and a closing banquet where fellows share their experiences.

Writing a Proposal

The application for the Dwight Hall Summer Fellowship Program is modeled on a typical grant application. To request the $3,000 in funding for your project, you must put together a proposal that clearly explains what you aim to accomplish, you you will be collaborating with, and you must put your proposal into a larger context. The strength of a proposal is the primary factor in the selection process. Before you write your proposal, clearly establish goals with your sponsoring agency. The staff at Dwight Hall is happy to help with the writing of proposals, and if you stop by, you can read over any or all of proposals that have been funded since 2004 to help you in preparing your own proposal.

Other Required Materials

Along with your proposal, you should also submit:

Letter of Support: You must have a letter from a person at the organization with which you have proposed to work. The letter should state that you have discussed your project with the organization and that there will be at least one person who can provide support and assistance to you through the summer. If your project includes work with several organizations, you will need a letter from each. This letter may enclosed, or, alternatively, the organization can mail the letter directly to Dwight Hall or e-mailed to Johnny Scafidi ( This email address is hidden from email harvesters via JavaScript ).

Resume: In your resume, be sure to include volunteer work, leadership experience, and skills (computer, language, etc.) and experience relevant to your proposed work. Be sure to briefly describe your experiences, and highlight significant accomplishments where relevant. Remember, UCS strongly advises that undergraduates keep their resumes to one page. (For help, see UCS's Career Guide.)

Transcript: Unofficial transcript and list of current classes.

Criteria for Selection

Selection is based on:

(1) Strength of proposal, feasibility of goals, and potential for the proposed project(s) to have both an immediate and also a sustainable impact on the community.

(2) Strength of the applicant, including past involvement in issues relevant to project proposal, a commitment to community service and social justice, and a capacity for self-directed work and outstanding leadership.

(3) Scope and urgency of need being addressed by the proposed service. project(s).

(4) Ability to commit full-time to the proposed project during set program dates.