Columbia World Projects (CWP) today welcomed the second undergraduate cohort of the Social Impact Fellowship. Selected from a rich applicant pool earlier this year, the 10 rising junior and senior students from Columbia College, the School of General Studies, Barnard College and the School of Engineering and Applied Science will spend six weeks in residence at CWP over the summer, followed by participation in CWP programming during the coming academic year.
The Social Impact Fellowship was the first program to be launched by CWP to provide education and training opportunities for students and faculty to help realize what former University President Lee C. Bollinger called the university’s “Fourth Purpose” – advancing human welfare and confronting the great challenges of our time. The program is designed to expand the students’ community, increase their exposure to social impact career paths and journeys, build skills to pursue their own social impact careers and areas of interest, and deepen their understanding of collaborative, multi-sectoral, and interdisciplinary approaches to problem-solving.
During the six-week Summer Session of workshops and seminars students deepen their knowledge and build new skills and capacities essential to confronting complex global challenges. During the 2023-2024 academic year, students will remain engaged with CWP, receiving mentorship; meeting thought leaders and social impact innovators, including participants in the Obama Foundation Scholars Program at Columbia University; and completing a capstone project. The Social Impact Fellowship will be offered annually for Columbia juniors and seniors who aspire to use their talents to engage in and lead on solving complex societal challenges.
“We are very excited to welcome a second and expanded cohort of Social Impact Fellows this year. The students selected to participate in the fellowship have demonstrated a commitment to tackling critical societal challenges and making a positive impact in the world,” said Lisa Dolberry Hancock, Columbia World Projects’ Director of Learning and Innovation. The fellowship will provide an opportunity for these emerging leaders to explore career possibilities and learn tools and strategies for effective social impact.”
Meet the 2023-2024 Social Impact Fellows.
About Columbia World Projects
Columbia World Projects is a university-wide initiative established in 2017 to forge a closer and more useful connection between Columbia University’s vast research capabilities and the needs of the world. CWP mobilizes researchers and scholars to work with governments, organizations, businesses, and communities to tackle global challenges.