Student Fellowship
The Pulte Institute Student Fellowship supports Social Entrepreneurship internship opportunities for students. Initially made possible by a generous gift from Rick and Molly Klau in 2018, these internships allow students to be trained as social entrepreneurs through experiential learning on the front lines of development work across the globe.
View our current Pulte Institute Student Fellows.
The Fellowship supports the needs of students during summer internship experiences and in related program activities, which enrich students' academic experience at Notre Dame and give them access to valuable career and networking opportunities. Each year, accepted Interns receive funding to engage in a hands-on practicum with development and social entrepreneurship professionals. This practicum may include working on projects related to one or more of the following areas:
- Human Centered-Design to identify and address community needs
- Product development & testing
- Financial and Strategic Analysis
- Alternative Funding and Revenue Strategies
- Scaling and Replication Models
- Strategic Partner Engagement Strategies
- Value Chain Strategies and Management
- Managing Investor Relations
Interns work on these projects in the field with the support and guidance of an organizational partner. The Institute has an extensive network of organizational partners for interns to be placed with. However, interns may also propose a specific organization they have ties to for consideration of funding. Although the internship program is primarily geared toward undergraduate students, graduate students may also apply and may be accepted on a case-by-case basis.
Each Summer, Notre Dame students could consider internships with Social Entrepreneur Corps and Entrepreneurship & Empowerment in South Africa (EESA). Both programs are excellent international partners with the Pulte Institute for Global Development and have unique internship opportunities in Social Entrepreneurship. In order to be considered for financial assistance for these programs, students should apply to the programs directly. If students are interested in interning with the Mandela Washington Fellowship program, an impact investing firm called Beneficial Returns, or would like to develop their own proposal, they should email Sarah Genz (sgenz@nd.edu) for more information and assistance. Please see the Fellowship eligibility and requirements page for more information.
For 2023, the EESA application is closed, but look for Summer 2024 Applications in November. Social Entrepreneur Corps will open their application soon.
Learn more information about eligibility, fellowship requirements, and deadlines here.
Program Benefits
The Pulte Institute Student Fellowship program is designed to give students a unique, global experience that will prepare them for careers in the development field. However, the program is also intended to benefit the international host organizations and local communities that interns work and live with, respectively.
Benefits for Students
Selected applicants to the Pulte Institute Student Fellowship Program benefits students in the following ways:
- Up to $4,500 towards program costs or approved independent research
- Experience cultural and linguistic immersion
- Work in the field with seasoned, development professionals
- Work directly with grassroots and innovative social organizations.
- Potentially meet the Keough School's undergraduate global affairs concentration requirement of a six-week, immersive, international experience. Students interested in meeting this requirement through the Internship program should consult with the Keough School's undergraduate advisor, for more details.
- Cohort training and travel preparation and additional support during internship
Learn more about past Pulte Institute Student Fellows.
Benefits for Host Organizations and Communities
Interns bring several benefits to their host organizations and communities, including:
- Innovative, external perspectives about organizations' missions, goals, products, or services.
- Ideas for improving organizations' outreach efforts or reputation within the community.
- Ideas for more efficiently solving community-identified challenges.
- Their own national and cultural backgrounds for cultural exchange.