Local Change, National Networks

We are excited to announce our new Semester for Impact (SFI) program!

SFI brings you the chance to make a difference in your local community while joining a national network of social innovators.

SFI builds from the ground-breaking Semester in the City program launched in Boston in 2016, which has provided a fully-credited semester of experiential learning to more than 500 students drawn from 17 leading colleges and universities.

apply to semester for impact

At Semester for Impact, you will:

Serve in an intensive, 450-hour internship with a social impact organization in your local community.

Create and deliver a unique special project for that organization, helping them reach their goal or fulfill their mission
Take two courses in social innovation, developing your skills and reflecting on your experience.
Join a National Learning Network of other students serving in internships across the country
Receive a full semester of course credit
You can maintain your current housing, stay involved in clubs and activities, and leave a legacy in your community

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Want to get involved?

Email Kate LaVigne, Associate Director of Semester for Impact, at kate.lavigne@collegeforsocialinnovation.org

Join a Network of National Leaders

When you join Semester for Impact, you join our National Learning Network of students, alumni, and social innovators.

This Network convenes at the start of the semester in Boston for a Launch Week mini-conference, where Fellows receive training, share new experiences together, and meet with local and national leaders in social innovation.

All Fellows will be provided transportation to and from Boston, as well as lodging in Boston during Launch Week.

The Network continues engaging throughout the semester in online forums, discussion groups, and video calls- as SFI students come from around the country, you can hear what strategies and ideas are being tested in other places, and share what is working in your internship

The Network celebrates the end of each semester with Showcase, an opportunity for all SFI Fellows to share their experiences, tell their stories, and shape the next iteration of the program

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“The people you meet in this program, and the people you connect to in the Network, are the people who can help support your career in social innovation - now, and in the future.”

Alex Johnson
Director of Semester for Impact at College for Social Innovation

What do I walk away with?

A full semester of college credit
A new network of friends and fellow social innovators across the country
A special project to help build your resume
A portfolio and experience you can be proud of and that made an impact in your community

After you graduate the program, you’re still a part of the Network! We host Alumni events online and in-person, as well as a space to continue sharing ideas, job postings, and news.

Student Support

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