Congratulations on your acceptance to Penn! While you preview your future life in Philadelphia, we hope you’ll look into the many ways to weave social impact into your university experience.
At Wharton, you can apply business strategies for a better world. The Wharton Social Impact Initiative (WSII) leverages Wharton’s strengths to develop and promote business strategies for a better world. Our cross-cutting work focuses on impact finance, impact entrepreneurship, and strategic corporate social impact, and incorporates research that leverages Wharton’s analytic horsepower.
We offer a robust collection of programs, activities, and resources for those interested in using business strategies to create social good. This includes an immersive fellowship program, support for club activities on campus, visiting speaker events, conferences, and much more.
Here are three ways undergraduate students can get involved with WSII:
- The Social Impact Fellowship is the most in-depth way to work with us. Over the course of one or two semesters, Social Impact Fellows play a key role in driving forward major initiatives and developing relationships between WSII and impact stakeholders through research, consulting, and other internal support. Through the Fellowship, undergraduate and MBA students apply their strategic, operational, and leadership skills in relevant projects while gaining real-world experience. Read here on one such project.
Fellowship recruitment occurs at the start of the Fall and Spring semesters each academic year.
2. The Turner Social Impact Society (TSIS) is a community of students united by their shared passion for making a difference, and their commitment to gaining the skills and knowledge to do so. Through TSIS, the Wharton Social Impact Initiative supports and develops students’ commitment to social impact through fellowship and mentorship, as well as opportunities including training, workshops and internships. TSIS is open through a rigorous application and interview process to a small group of dedicated, talented and carefully selected students.
TSIS recruitment occurs at the end of the Spring semester and start of the Fall semester each academic year.
3. The Social Impact Advisory Board (SIAB) helps to strengthen and expand Wharton’s social impact initiatives. 2-3 students from each undergraduate class drive integration and coordination of activities, identify openings for new partnerships, and support new and existing projects, events and initiatives. The SIAB manages the WSII Impact Certification program for social impact clubs on campus, provides funding for collaborations, and organizes activities such as an MBA/undergraduate mentorship program.
SIAB recruitment occurs at the start of the Fall semester each academic year. Follow their newsletter for regular updates on undergraduate social impact activities on campus.
Check out the full list of offerings on our Student Resources page or email us at socialimpact@wharton.upenn.edu with additional questions.