Social Change Corps

The Social Change Corps (SCC) supports students wanting to explore changemaking opportunities by providing financial support and mentoring. This initiative promotes students’ understanding of social issues and social justice as they actively participate in a community-based or social enterprise experience, locally or abroad. The 2017 SCC offers $500 during a semester for a team of three to five students to explore who they are as Changemakers and to develop their skills in framing social issues and creating innovative approaches to addressing them. All the SCC teams receive mentoring from the start.

Meet the 2017 SCC Teams

The 2017 Social Change Corps teams represent a diverse population of students involved in different organizations and activities all over campus. Their projects focus on a wide range of topics, from increasing diversity and inclusion in Greek Life to providing mentoring services to youth in the local community. Check them out!

Join the Social Change Corps

Applications for the 2018 Spring semester are now open! USD provides a semester opportunity for teams to explore their passion for change by developing projects with youth in Linda Vista, creating campus initiatives that foster positive culture change, and explore ways to create systemic change in their community. If you're interested in joining us in the future, please see below for guidelines. Feel free to check in with the team at the Changemaker Hub with any questions you have! 

Apply here!

Eligibility:

• All undergraduate students who will be returning to USD for the following year and all current graduate students are eligible 
• The funding is provided to help cover the costs of the experience (such as travel, materials, and program costs)
• The funding may not be used toward formal, credit-bearing study abroad programs
• Ordinarily, participants commit to at least 10 weeks of fall or spring semester time

Selection Process:

The application must include the following:

• Brief description of the project in which the students will be involved (dates, place, organization or group, etc.)
• The nature of the team's involvement in the project
• Brief explanation of how their participation in the project will push forward their identity as Changemakers
• Brief explanation of how it will further develop changemaking skills
• Short timeline of the proposed project

Requirements:

• Keep your mentors updated with regular progress reports
• Attend bi-weekly mentoring meetings
• Create an estimated budget for the $500 grant
• Attend the Social innovation Bootcamp (at least two team members)

Deliverables:

• Creating ongoing updates for posting on social media and the Changemaker blog
• Participating in a reflection on your experiences in a workshop in the spring
• Sharing your experience with the broader USD community at a lunch in the spring