The Human Rights Center is committed to experiential learning that is vocationally-driven, connected to campus learning and experienced in collective ways.
In addition to student organizations and campus resources, we offer fellowship and scholarship opportunities to undergraduate and graduate students. Current students can find additional information on Porches.
Human Rights Center summer programming was designed in a cohorted way to ensure students were learning and reflecting together even if their fellowships were in different countries. All students also participate in numerous public forums so that others could learn from their experiences and research. For example, students typically write blogs as well as share their experiences through poster sessions and/or fireside chats during a Fellowship Showcase.
Previous global summer fellowships have included:
Previous domestic and virtual fellowships have included:
Previous law and graduate summer fellowships have included:
The Linda C. Majka Fellowship supports a current student to engage in human rights research and advocacy in the local Dayton community. The focus of this work is assisting migrants and refugees in overcoming barriers to thriving. The fellow will function as a researcher and intern at the Human Rights Center and will work as part of a collaboration with the Law School and in partnership with community organizations serving migrants and refugees.
Linda received her B.A. in Economics from the College of William and Mary and her M.A. and PhD in Sociology from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She joined the University of Dayton faculty in fall 1981, and had a special impact on both UD and the Dayton community.
She wrote extensively on human rights, social inequality, social movements, women's issues and immigrant integration. Professor Majka was one of the founders of the Women's and Gender Studies Program and Human Rights Studies Program at UD.
Linda had a burning passion for justice, which was illustrated in her extensive work with the Dayton community. Specifically, Linda and Theo Majka's research on the needs of the immigrant and refugee communities contributed to the transformation of Dayton into an immigrant friendly" city, and helped inform policies throughout the community.
University of Dayton undergraduates planning to participate in University-sponsored human rights programs or service activities abroad, particularly in Africa, Asia or Latin America, can apply for the Curran Family Scholarship, designed to support students as they engage in hands-on global human rights work.
The Scholarship includes a variety of required program activities that facilitate learning, including participating in pre-departure and post-trip programming organized by the Human Rights Center.