Internships
The Louis D. Brandeis Legacy Fund for Social Justice Fellowship is a prestigious grant that supports undergraduate and graduate students participating in unpaid, full-time summer internships or research programs at organizations whose mission addresses issues of social justice. The program, which supports approximately 30 students a year, was established in 2008 and has funded over 400 total students in that time. The Undergraduate Social Justice Fellowship is administered by the Hiatt Career Center's World of Work program (WOW).
In 2023, the Legacy Fund supported stipends for 28 undergraduate students pursuing unpaid internships at social justice organizations. Additionally, 14 graduate students from across the University, including 3 PhD and 7 MPP students from the Heller School for Social Policy & Management and 4 PhD students from the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences.
The Social Justice Fellowship is supported, in part, by the Class of 1969 Fund for Social Justice.
Past recipients:
2022- 28 Undergraduate Fellows & 13 Graduate Fellows
2021 - 21 Undergraduate Fellows & 14 Graduate Fellows
2020 - 34 Social Justice World of Work Internship Fellows, plus Academic Research Fellows, and a one-time program called Generation to Generation
Recent Recipient Spotlight:
Leah Goldstein ’25
Social Justice Fellowship: Behavioral Counselor at the Child Mind Institute
Majors: Psychology, Film, Television, and Interactive Media (FTIM), and Health, Science, Society, and Policy (HSSP)
"After receiving a fellowship from the Louis D. Brandeis Legacy Fund for Social Justice, I was able to work as a Behavioral Counselor at the Child Mind Institute. The Child Mind Institute is a non-profit organization that offers evidence-based care to children and young people with mental health and learning disabilities. They provide care to thousands of children in their clinical centers and schools across the country.
I am grateful for receiving the WOW Fellowship, which helped me reaffirm my passion for Psychology and improve my professionalism and leadership abilities. The fellowship allowed me to understand that working with kids was a rewarding experience, but it also made me realize that I could work with other age groups. My professional goal is to make a significant impact on people's lives by teaching them the value of self-belief. To achieve this, I plan on going to graduate school or continuing my studies to focus on a specific area of psychology, such as social psychology or developmental psychology. I am incredibly appreciative of this fellowship and how it helped me clarify my long-term career goals."
Alumni Spotlight
Rachel Goldfarb ’11
Social Justice Fellowship: NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts, Summer 2010
Today: Digital Communications Strategist, Actors’ Equity Association
“I did my WOW internship in the summer of 2010, leading into senior year. I was a communications intern at NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts. I fell in love with communications work, and especially where I get to support causes that I care about. As a double major in English and Women’s Gender and Sexuality Studies, NARAL Pro-Choice Mass gave me an opportunity to turn my education into a career.
“Today, I'm the Digital Communications Strategist at Actors' Equity Association. We are the labor union representing actors and stage managers in theater in the United States. We also work to take the lead in fighting racism and sexism in theater, to end sexual harassment in the industry, and so much more. My degree in WGS combined with my WOW internship experience at NARAL helped me begin the journey to where I am today. The Louis D. Brandeis Legacy Fund for Social Justice is what motivates me to give back to Brandeis.”
“With social justice, one must advocate not just for their own liberation and welfare but for everyone around them who may not even have the privilege or opportunity to make their voice heard.”
Recipient of the Social Justice WOW Fellowship
Internship: Sierra Club Lone Star Chapter