Funded Summer Fellowship Programs
Funded Summer Fellowship Programs
The Pathways to Practice team administers a range of fellowships that provide Harvard College students with the opportunity to participate in curated, 10-week summer positions with nonprofit and government organizations across a variety of fields. Each fellowship in this portfolio provides a distinctive set of public service opportunities, all made possible through the generous support of individual program donors. Check out the fellowship descriptions to learn more about each program, and all 2026 Position Descriptions are available below!
Interested students should apply via the CPSES Curated Fellowships Application in CARAT. (Opens 12/19/25 at 12 noon.) Applications are due Sunday, February 1, 2026 by 11:59pm ET.
Please note: The deadline to apply for second-round fellowships is Thursday, April 9, 2026 by 11:59pm ET.
The Mindich Service Fellowship Program provides Harvard College students with a premier opportunity to explore public service careers over the summer. Through this program, students can apply to intern with more than 70 leading nonprofit and public service organizations throughout the United States, gaining hands-on experience and insights into impactful community work.
The Stad Fellowship Program offers Harvard College students the opportunity to work with elected officials at the federal, state, or local level over the summer, gaining hands-on experience in politics and government.
The Auerbach Canadian Nonprofit Mentored Internship Fund supports students seeking professional experience within Canada’s nonprofit sector. Applicants may either pursue curated internship placements with prominent Canadian service organizations or apply for independent funding to support self-arranged internships. Both options are designed to connect students with meaningful work while gaining valuable insights into nonprofit leadership in Canada.
Fellows at the Forefront: This innovative summer program brings together students, scholars, practitioners, and activists to address urgent social issues. Students spend 10 weeks working with community partners or participating in faculty-led research projects, complemented by weekly workshops led by Harvard Professors. During the Summer of 2026, there are two distinct Fellows at the Forefront cohorts:
Climate Change & The Environment: This cohort is offered in collaboration with the Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability with support from the Johnson Climate Fund. Faculty-led research projects and weekly seminars are facilitated by Professor Jason Beckfield, focusing on innovative solutions and critical issues at the intersection of climate change and the environment.
Humanitarian Aid & Climate Resilience: This cohort is offered in collaboration with the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative (HHI) with support from the Johnson Climate Fund. Research projects are led by a diverse group of HHI leadership team members, and weekly seminars are organized by Dr. Michael VanRooyen and Dr. Irini Albanti. HHI faculty, program managers, and visiting scientists will present on their projects and then invite the students to ask questions. Topics cover the range of HHI's portfolio and current issues in humanitarian aid.
Cradle-to-Career Summer Fellowship: In partnership with Harvard’s EdRedesign Lab, the Cradle-to-Career Summer Fellows Cohort places students with organizations tackling issues of educational equity, intergenerational poverty, and economic mobility in communities across the country. Driven by the vision that race, place, and income should no longer be determinants of school and life success for children and young people, Summer Fellows will work on projects dedicated to changing practices, policies, and systems so that more young people can reach their full potential.
Overview
Program Details:
- Duration: 10 weeks (June 1 – August 7, 2026), 35-40 hours per week. Fellows are required to complete a minimum of 300 hours.
- Format: Internships may be conducted virtually, in-person, or in a hybrid format, which is detailed in each position description.
- Funding: For summer 2026, students will receive a $6,000 stipend. Students who receive financial aid may be eligible for an additional $1,000. Stipends for international students may be subject to U.S. taxes depending on the tax treaty between the student's home country and the United States.
- Mentorship: Fellows will work under the supervision of a dedicated mentor, meeting at least weekly. A clear project scope and defined objectives should be established at the start of the internship.
- Cohort Model: Whenever possible, we aim to place cohorts of students in the same cities to foster community and collaboration.
- Learning Series: Fellows will participate in a learning series in Canvas throughout the summer, committing up to 2 hours of excused work time per week.
- Reporting: Fellows are required to complete a program contract and an end-of-summer survey and reflection.
- Logistics: Fellows are responsible for arranging travel, housing, and logistical arrangements as needed for the summer.
- Additional Requirements: Additional program-specific requirements may apply to fellows in each cohort.
Application & Selection Process
Eligibility Requirements:
These fellowships are open to all Harvard College undergraduates. Students graduating in May 2026 are eligible to apply.
If you are currently on leave but plan to re-enroll in Fall 2026, you may participate in our programming. If you plan to apply, reach out to your Resident Dean as soon as possible to request to be approved to return from leave. You must be approved to return from leave by the Ad Board before accepting our offer to participate.
Application Process:
Interested students should apply via the CPSES Curated Fellowships Application in CARAT. (Opens 12/19/25 at 12 noon.) Applications are due Sunday February 1, 2026 by 11:59pm ET.
To apply, applicants must submit:
- 1-page resume noting your skills, previous employment, extracurricular activities, and volunteer experiences. Include traditional work-related skills, including any specific skills required for the position*
- 1-page cover letter highlighting accomplishments and career interests. Be sure to include why you are applying for the position, your goals and expectations, and your related experience and/or skills.*
- Copy of your unofficial student record (found at my.harvard.edu)
- Names and contact information for 2 academic and/or professional references (please use this template)
Candidates applying to multiple opportunities will need to submit a separate application with a unique cover letter for each position. We encourage students to be thoughtful in selecting the positions they are interested in and to apply for no more than three positions. Candidates will be asked to rank their choices if applying to multiple positions.
*For help writing a cover letter or resume, check out these resources from the Mignone Center for Career Success (MCS).
Key Dates and Timeline:
Friday, December 19, 2025, 12pm (noon) | Application Opens (via CARAT) |
Sunday, February 1, 2026, 11:59pm | Application Deadline |
Early to Mid-February | CPSES Selection Committee Evaluation: A committee evaluates applicants for each position and identifies the top candidates, who are recommended to the fellowship placement. |
Late February | Finalist Notifications: Applicants are notified if they are a finalist or not for each position for which they have applied. |
Late February to Early March | Finalist Interviews: Finalists’ applications are reviewed by fellowship placement sites. Candidates may be contacted for an interview during this time. Please note that being a finalist does not guarantee an interview. |
Mid-March | First Round Offers Sent |
Tuesday, March 24 12pm (noon) | Deadline to Accept/Decline First Round Offers |
Wednesday, March 25 - Ongoing | Second Round Offers Sent: Offers are made on a rolling basis until the position has been filled. |
Summer Funding Decision Timeline
New for the Summer 2026 application process, the Center for Public Service and Engaged Scholarship, in collaboration with the Summer Funding Office and summer funding sources across the College, is implementing a coordinated decision timeline for summer funding opportunities. By aligning our review and notification processes, we aim to notify as many candidates as possible about offers at the same time, helping students make informed choices about summer opportunities.
How the Process Works:
- Candidates ranked highest by each organization will receive first-round offers and have the most time to consider their options.
- Note: If you receive a first-round offer, please notify us as soon as you’ve made your decision, even before the official deadline if possible, as this allows us to promptly update other candidates.
- Finalists who have not received an offer by the end of March are considered alternate candidates and will be placed on a waitlist. If a first-round offer is declined, the next-ranked candidate on the waitlist will be notified and have two days to accept or decline the offer. This process continues until the position is filled.
- Once a position is filled, either by the first choice or a waitlist candidate, the remaining candidates will be notified as soon as possible.
- Note: Due to the high volume of applications and communication during this process, we are unable to provide real-time updates to individual applicants. However, we will do our best to inform all applicants as quickly as possible.
Binding Acceptance:
By accepting an offer, students are expected to make a binding commitment to that position. Once a student accepts a position, all parties are notified, and the position is closed. Withdrawing after accepting an offer has negative consequences for the program, the other applicants, and partner organizations. As a result, any candidate who withdraws after acceptance will become ineligible for future funding from our office.
Additionally, the names of candidates who accept offers in each round of summer funding will be shared with the Summer Funding Office. These students will not be eligible to apply for funding in subsequent rounds, in accordance with the Harvard Summer Funding Policy, explained below.
Harvard Summer Funding Policy:
Harvard College prioritizes the wide distribution of Summer funding to ensure that as many undergraduate students as possible can have a meaningful summer experience. For funded Summer 2026 experiences, students may only apply Harvard University funding to one Summer experience. If you are receiving any other sources of Harvard summer funding, you must report this to our office immediately to remain in compliance with Harvard's Summer Funding Policy.
FAQs
Q: Can I apply to more than one internship?
A: Yes, you may apply for more than one internship. However, we encourage you to be thoughtful in selecting the positions you want to apply to and recommend limiting your applications to a maximum of three. We encourage you to carefully review all available opportunities and apply to those that best match your interests and qualifications. Submitting focused, tailored applications and cover letters will help you present yourself as a strong candidate for your chosen roles. This approach increases your chances of standing out to the selection committee as a strong candidate for the position(s) that interest you most. Please also keep in mind that, if you apply to multiple internships, you will be asked to rank your preferences.
Q: Are internships competitive?
A: Mindich Internships are competitive, and organizations are looking for the best fit. Take time to decide which organization(s) you’re most interested in, and where your skills and experience would be a good fit. It is highly recommended that you do background research into organizations that interest you and demonstrate that research and knowledge of the organization in your application.
We understand that it can be difficult to determine how competitive specific positions are, and you may wish to apply strategically to internships with fewer applicants. To assist with this, we will share a list of organizations that have received fewer applications approximately one week before the application deadline. At that time, students are welcome to consider these organizations as additional options alongside their primary choices.
Q: What are references? What do I need to provide?
A: You will need to provide the names and contact information for two references. Your references do not need to provide a letter of recommendation. Please use this template and upload it as part of your application on CARAT. A reference can be anyone you choose - a professor, a coach, a tutor, a boss, etc. Depending on your class year, you may decide to choose someone from your time in high school. Your reference should be able to speak in detail about the positive skills and traits you possess. Please inform your reference that they may be contacted during the course of evaluating your application.
Q: I need resume help. Where should I go?
A: For resume review, please visit the Mignone Center for Career Success (MCS), for their daily drop-ins. MCS also has great online resources for resumes, including templates and online workshops. Resumes must be kept to one page.
Q: To whom should I address my cover letter?
A: We do not provide the names or contact information of hiring managers at each internship site. We encourage students to address cover letters in a professional way as if they do not know the name of the person reviewing their application (ex. "To whom it may concern" or "Dear Hiring Committee"). For help with cover letters, review the resources available from MCS.
2026 Fellowship Position Descriptions