Foundations in Social Impact

The world needs innovative, creative, and thoughtful leaders now more than ever. 

Dartmouth '30s: Join Foundations in Social Impact – only first-years can apply! Find your community. Develop your leadership skills. Complete a real-world nonprofit consulting project with a local social impact organization.  

Foundations workshops will introduce you to a cross-section of campus partners engaged in social impact education and to community organizations in the Upper Valley. In each Foundations session you will reflect on your leadership style and think deeply about ethical community engagement and how to address our most pressing social issues. 

Check out the Dartmouth '29s Foundations experience! 

Winter Leadership Workshops:

• Week 1 - Orientation and Community Building 
• Week 2 - Creating Knowledge, Community, and Change at Dartmouth
• Week 3 - Circling and Teamwork
• Week 4 - Fun, Creativity, and Values in Social Change Work
• Week 5 - Finding Your Role in Social Change
• Week 6 - The LARA Method: A Communication Tool for Leaders
• Week 7 - Design Thinking and Being Creative
• Week 8 - Design Thinking and Empathy/Research

Spring Community Partnerships:

• Spring retreat
• Visit to community partners
• Feedback and Networking with Tuck Center for Business, Government, and Society
• Final Presentations & Celebration

• Winter term: Participate in weekly leadership workshops led by social change educators from across Dartmouth 

• Spring term: Work in teams of ~5 to complete a real-world nonprofit consulting challenge with an Upper Valley social impact organization 

• In Foundations, you will... 

  • Connect – With a cohort of students ready to make a difference, educators for social change within the Dartmouth ecosystem, and partners in our Upper Valley community. 

  • Learn to Lead – Develop your social impact leadership skills, your understanding of community-engaged impact work, and your interests and strengths. 

  • Act – Apply your learning by completing a community-centered consulting project with a local organization using design thinking for social change.   

• Time commitment:  

  • 2 Saturday retreats: Winter Orientation January 9 and the Spring Retreat April 3 

  • Weekly sessions Wednesdays 7-9pm Winter and Spring terms  

  • Additional independent work, teamwork, and partner meetings Spring term (2-3 hours per week) 

Learn more and apply here! Applications are due Monday, October 26 by 3pm ET.  

Come to info sessions & office hours to learn more, ask questions, and get support with your application! Dates and times will be posted soon. We are in South Fairbanks room 301. Our elevator only reaches the second floor - please email and we will happily meet you on the first or second floor as needed.  

Email the Social Impact Leadership team with questions! 

I loved the people in Foundations. [...] It can be easy at Dartmouth to gravitate towards people on the same academic path. Foundations gave me the opportunity to connect with so many incredible people from different backgrounds and interests, and I am so grateful to have met the kind, hilarious, and passionate people on my team. ~ Aditi Singh '28 

The best part of Foundations was being able to work as part of a team on a real-life problem that demanded attention in our own backyard. It felt really great to know that our work was actually creating a positive impact on our Upper Valley neighbors. As someone with no prior experience with nonprofit consulting, this program gave me great insight into what it actually entails and sparked a passion that I'll continue to explore throughout my time at Dartmouth and later on in my career. This program is not only a great way for first-years to gain hands-on experience in the social impact realm, but it also taught me several valuable skills and lessons that will serve me well no matter what career path I choose to pursue. ~ Jack D'Andrea, '28 

Foundations was an integral part of my freshman year, and I cherish the experiences that I had attending workshops, connecting with my teammates, and working on our consulting challenge. One of the most valuable things that I have taken away from the program is the realization that there is no "ideal" social impact changemaker. The workshops, coupled with our consulting challenge, gave me the chance to reflect on who I am as an individual, what strengths and weaknesses I have, what skills I am gifted with, and how I can grow in my own unique way. ~Katherine Arrington '24