The Government Fellowship Program was developed to engage students enrolled in post-secondary educational institutions by placing them in County Agencies, Departments, and Board Offices that are developing and implementing high priority policies and initiatives or that have high demand job classifications. The goal of the Program is to create a mutually beneficial experience for both students and the County by matching students with County departments based on the students’ interests, skills, and future career goals, so that the students will seriously consider a career in the County.
The Government Fellowship Program is an opportunity for students to get meaningful insight on projects the County undertakes. Some of the projects Fellows have worked on include:
- Drafting a report on implementing a food waste reduction initiative within the County’s largest hospital, including mitigation strategies, contract management, and Standard Operating Procedures
- Conducting an outcomes evaluation of the Intern & Earn Program, which focuses on individuals who don't have wealth access (CalWORKs, CalFresh, & Foster Youth) and connecting them with County resources in the hopes of inspiring them to return to school or pursue further education
- Qualitative analysis of the County of Santa Clara’s Budget Equity Tool to assess how well departments address and contribute to equity and inclusion
- Collaborating with various individuals and departments to identify areas of improvement for attaining hospital accreditations to attract a more diverse group of patients and improve patient care
- Drafting a report on the contextual and urban impacts of gender-based violence against the County’s American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) and indigenous population
- Development of the pilot program My Voice, My Community, in which patient history and experiences are collected and documented to allow the patient care team to provide more personalized treatment
- County branding for the Voter’s Choice Act
- Conducting a research project on breaking down barriers to success of Gender Sexuality Alliance (GSA) clubs in Santa Clara County schools to promote the wellbeing of LGBTQ+ youth
- Creating an accessible document to educate medical and non-medical staff in juvenile facilities on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders
- Research focused on examining experiences of bisexual erasure and their impacts on the health and well-being of bisexual adults living, working, and studying in the County of Santa Clara
- Literature review on topics related to Transgender Recruitment and Employment Retention
- Resource Management Project for Technology Services and Solutions (TSS) to provide management insight into project timelines, capacity, and team building using tools such as Microsoft Excel and Progressive Web Apps (PWA)
- Outreach partnerships with non-profit organizations to refer homeless populations to resources and services
- Evaluating emerging Surveillance Technologies, such as Facial Recognition and system monitoring technologies
- Developing a plan for youth programming and outreach to Queer & Asian communities as part of the Vietnamese American Service Center
- Analyzing demographic data from the Public Health Department to identify trends in income and language spoken at home, which affect volume of Vector Control District services
- Identifying strategies from current literature to design a multifaceted action plan to tackle low retention rates among minority physicians and nurses
- Supporting implementation of a project charter to integrate doulas into the County hospital system, to address a vital gap in maternal care
Fellows receive a stipend of up to $10,000 to help offset reasonable living expenses for a term of up to 10 weeks during the summer months. Fellows are afforded many opportunities to network with each other and with professionals in their area(s) of interest. As part of the Cohort, Fellows also explore a variety of County departments and the countless ways that government work positively impacts our community.
Interested in applying? More information can be found here.
Want to learn more about what the County of Santa Clara does? You can view the list of the County Agencies and Departments.
