Program at a Glance
| Dates | June 22 – July 30, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Time Commitment | Approximately 10 hours per week, including seminars, mentor meetings, project work, independent assignments, and capstone preparation. Fellows should plan to work at our downtown or USC offices on Wednesdays and attend the lunchtime Fellows Seminar on those days. We are in the office from 10am-3pm. Fellows participating remotely are expected to be engaged during scheduled meetings, seminars, supervisor check-ins, and assigned work times. |
| Format | Hybrid, with in-person seminars and talks, mentor meetings, remote work, and self-directed/project-based activities |
| Primary Locations | HPRI/H3E Downtown Office, USC City Center, 1150 S. Olive Street, Suite 1100, Los Angeles, CA 90015 and USC Social Work Center, 665 W. 34th Street, Room 106, Los Angeles, CA 90089 |
| Learning Model | Project-based placement or self-directed field activity, weekly Fellows Seminars, mentor check-ins, skill-building, reflection, and a final capstone presentation. |
| Supervision | Each fellow will work with a program mentor. Fellows are expected to meet with their mentor once a week and respond to reasonable program communications. |
| Final Culmination & Capstone Presentations | Wed, July 29, 12-2pm at USC Social Work Center, 665 W. 34th Street, Room 106, Los Angeles, CA 90089. Families Welcome! |
Fellows should plan to participate in weekly seminars, meet with their mentor once per week, complete assignments and reflections, and develop a final capstone presentation connected to their self-directed activity or project placement.
Rules and Expectations
Fellows are expected to participate fully, communicate professionally, complete work on time, and use respectful, person-centered language when discussing homelessness and people experiencing homelessness. Fellows must protect confidentiality and may not share private, identifiable, or sensitive information without explicit approval.
Key Expectations
- Attend required sessions, seminars, mentor meetings, project check-ins, and capstone-related activities
- Complete all assignments, reflections, project deliverables, and make-up work
- Submit assignments by the posted deadline to the Assignment section of this platform
- Cite sources when using facts, statistics, quotes, public data, policy documents, news articles, websites, or research
- Do not photograph, record, interview, approach, or collect personal information from people experiencing homelessness unless explicitly approved and supervised
- Remain in approved program spaces during in-person activities and communicate with staff if leaving or returning during lunch or independent work periods
- Use AI tools only if allowed by program staff and only in ways that support learning rather than replace their own thinking. Fellows should not submit AI-generated work as if it were entirely their own.
- Social media, video games, streaming, unrelated browsing, or other non-program technology use is not permitted during office time.
- Fellows attending by Zoom should join on time, use their full name, keep their camera on when possible, and participate respectfully. If a fellow is unable to keep their camera on, they should still remain engaged through listening, note-taking, chat participation, and completion of any assigned reflection.
Discussion Norms (created by fellows)
- Engaging + encouraging of asking questions
- Respect for differences of opinion
- Open and mindfulness
- Appropriate seriousness
- Supportive peers
- Clear instructions + understanding mentors (through communication)
- Cooperation
- Friendly + welcoming
- Willingness to share
- Mixed modes of learning
- Expressing curiosity
- Productive environment
Presentations & Gatherings : Seminars and Tuesday Talks
All seminar slides, Tuesday Talk materials, recordings, reflection links, and presentation-related details from the program calendar are posted here.
| Week | Date / Time | Type | Topic / Presenter | Location / Format | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Mon June 22, 9:30am–12pm | Orientation | Program Orientation | USC City Center, 1150 S. Olive Street, Suite 1100, Los Angeles, CA 90015 and Zoom | |
| Week 1 | Wed June 24, 12–1:30pm | Fellows Seminar 1 | Sara Ozuna / Gisele Corletto: Research Ethics & CITI Training Workshop | USC City Center, 1150 S. Olive Street, Suite 1100, Los Angeles, CA 90015 and Zoom | |
| Week 2 | Tues June 30, 12–2pm | Tuesday Talk | Nelly Stastny: Miracle Friends, Phone Buddies, and Universal Basic Income | Virtual/Zoom | |
| Week 2 | Wed July 1, 12–2pm | Fellows Seminar 2 | Sean Pleasants: Lived Experience of Homelessness | USC City Center, 1150 S. Olive Street, Suite 1100, Los Angeles, CA 90015 and Zoom | |
| Week 3 | Wed July 8, 12–2pm | Fellows Seminar 3 | Nick Weinmeister: Policy Research, Stakeholders, and Civic Action | USC City Center, 1150 S. Olive Street, Suite 1100, Los Angeles, CA 90015 and Zoom | |
| Week 4 | Wed July 15, 9:30–11:30am | Workshop | Greg Derelian: Get Comfortable with Public Speaking | USC Social Work Center, 669 W. 34th Street, Room 106, Los Angeles, CA 90089 and Zoom | |
| Week 4 | Wed July 15, 12:30–2:30pm | Fellows Seminar 4 | Dr. Amanda Landrian Gonzalez and Data Team: Data, Homeless Count, and Demographic Survey Methods | USC Social Work Center, 669 W. 34th Street, Room 106, Los Angeles, CA 90089 and Zoom | |
| Week 5 | Tues July 21, 12-2pm | Tuesday Talk | Dr. Rev. Seth Pickens: Systems Change Innovation | Virtual/Zoom | |
| Week 5 | Wed July 22, 9:30–11:30am | Fellows Seminar 5 | Drs. Ben Henwood & Sam Tsemberis: Housing First, Permanent Supportive Housing, and Program Models | USC Social Work Center, 669 W. 34th Street, Room 106, Los Angeles, CA 90089 and Zoom | |
| Week 5 | Wed July 22, 11:30am-2pm | Working Session | Free time to work on capstone presentation with support from mentors | USC Social Work Center, 669 W. 34th Street, Room 106, Los Angeles, CA 90089 | |
| Week 5 | Wed July 22, 2:30-3:30pm | In Person Tour | USC Group Tour at the University of Southern California, leave from Social Work Center at 2:20, gather at statue of Tommy Trojan in Hahn Plaza, between the Bovard Administration Building and the Ronald Tutor Campus Center. | USC Social Work Center, 669 W. 34th Street, Room 106, Los Angeles, CA 90089 | |
| Week 5 | Thurs July 23, 5–8pm | All Fellow Service Action | Union Station Homeless Services Family Shelter — Adopt a Meal | Union Station Homeless Services, 825 E. Orange Grove Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91104 | |
| Week 6 | Tues July 28, 10am-3pm | Working Session | Supported in person time to work on capstone presentation with support from mentors | USC City Center, 1150 S. Olive Street, Suite 1100, Los Angeles, CA 90015 | |
| Week 6 | Wed July 29, 11am–3pm | Fellows Seminar 6 / Culmination | Fellows Present their Findings: Capstone Presentations and Culmination (families welcome to attend in person or virtually) | USC Social Work Center, 669 W. 34th Street, Room 106, Los Angeles, CA 90089 and Zoom | Zoom LinkRecording |
Missed seminar reminder: Fellows who miss a seminar must watch the recording and complete the assigned reflection or make-up task.
Fellowship Documents
External references and key program links. Items marked “soon” are activated as documents and links are uploaded.
Rules and ExpectationsSelf Directed Activities & Capstone ProjectsWhat is a Fellows Mentor?Self-Directed Activity Planning and Progress TrackerWhat Is Ethics in Research & Why Is It Important?Glossary: What Is Ethics in Research & Why Is It Important?HPRI Homelessness 101HPRI Fellow GlossaryPresentation EvaluationLA County SPA MapCapstone Presentation: Fellow Guide
Mentors
Each fellow will work with a primary and secondary mentor who helps define the project scope, identify credible sources, set weekly milestones, provide feedback, and connect the work to the final capstone presentation. Mentors will meet with fellows once per week, usually for a structured 20–30 minute check-in.
| Fellow | Primary Mentor | Secondary Mentor | Project Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mia Carretero | Amy Stein | Shantel Cordon | |
| Steve Andrew Quezada | Gisele Corletto | Sara Ozuna | |
| Jesse Quezada | Camilla Catignas | Sara Ozuna | |
| Drake Gross | Ben Henwood | Gisele Corletto | |
| Stewart Henwood | Sara Ozuna | Shantel Cordon | |
| Samuel Gordon | Ben Henwood | Gisele Corletto | |
| Milo Derelian | Ben Henwood | Gisele Corletto | |
| Zaki Kuhn | Geoffrey Cui | Amy Stein | |
| Juniper Rhey | Shantel Cordon | Sara Ozuna | |
| Roan Henwood | Shantel Cordon | Sara Ozuna | |
| Bowe Lubin | Nick Weinmeister | Jasper Chew | |
| Michelle Guzman | Steve Quezada | Camilla Catignas | |
| Lee Monro | Sara Ozuna | Steve Quezada | |
| Henry Houser | Nick Weinmeister | Jasper Chew | |
| Zola Pickens | Amy Stein | Steve Quezada | |
| Sienna Mamoun | Geoffrey Cui | Amy Stein |
CITI Training
USC is committed to conducting research responsibly and ethically while protecting the rights, privacy, and well-being of research participants. To support this commitment, all students, researchers, and research personnel involved in human subjects research are required to complete Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative, or CITI, training.
CITI training provides essential instruction on research ethics, participant protections, informed consent, privacy, confidentiality, and regulatory compliance. Completion of the required modules is often necessary before research activities can begin and helps ensure that studies are conducted with integrity and respect for participants.
Because CITI training is widely recognized by colleges, universities, hospitals, and research organizations across the United States, the knowledge and certification gained through this training may also be useful beyond USC.
Self-Directed Activity Options
By week two, fellows should select a self-directed activity, narrow their topic, identify starting sources, and choose a feasible deliverable. The list below are options. Fellows may work with their mentor to create their own activity tailored to their interests. Work on these activities will take place over all six weeks of the Fellowship and inform the content of the final Capstone Presentation.
| Activity | Summary | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Homelessness, Hunger, and Community Meal Service: Union Station Homeless Services Adopt-a-Meal Project | Fellows help plan and participate in a late-July Adopt-a-Meal service activity with Union Station Homeless Services. They coordinate through program staff, clarify partner needs and site rules, plan a menu, create a shopping and supply list, organize team roles, prepare or transport food safely, serve respectfully, and reflect on how hunger connects to homelessness, dignity, service systems, and unmet need. | More Details ↗ |
| Community Space Planning and Youth Engagement: Young People to the Front HQ | Fellows partner with Young People to the Front to support early planning for a community space intended to host workshops for youth transitioning out of homelessness and community members. Fellows learn the partner’s goals, research welcoming and trauma-informed community spaces, draft a short needs-and-interests survey, identify possible workshop uses, and attend the Homeless Comms Group meeting on July 16 from 10:00am-2:00pm. | More Details ↗ |
| Housing Challenges and Approaches in Another Country: A Comparative Homelessness and Housing Policy Project | Fellows explore how one country outside the United States understands and responds to homelessness and housing instability. Fellows choose a country connected to their own background, culture, language, or interests, or another country they want to study, and compare its housing challenges, homelessness definitions, policies, and service systems with those in the United States. Fellows will use credible sources to create a country profile, develop a focused research question, compare 2–4 major housing or homelessness approaches, and analyze what lessons, cautions, or further questions emerge. | More Details ↗ |
| Community Asset Mapping | Fellows choose a Los Angeles neighborhood, SPA, census tract, or service hub and create a digital map of homelessness-related resources. They document emergency services, health services, public infrastructure, informal community support, hours, eligibility, transit access, and possible barriers. | More Details ↗ |
| Los Angeles Policy-in-Action Tracking | Fellows select one homelessness-related policy and follow how it moves from proposal or public discussion into implementation. They examine the policy’s purpose, supporting and opposing arguments, evidence from public meetings or records, and the gap between policy design and field reality. | More Details ↗ |
| Lived Experience Narrative Analysis | Fellows analyze an approved lived-experience account, such as a guest speaker, panel, recorded talk, interview, advocacy presentation, or written account. They identify themes such as service access barriers, system failures, shelter or health care interactions, informal survival strategies, and moments where systems helped or fell short. | More Details ↗ |
| Homelessness and Health: Access, Barriers, and Systems Response in Los Angeles | Fellows investigate how people experiencing homelessness access health-related services in a specific Los Angeles neighborhood, SPA, census tract, or service hub. They examine resources such as mobile clinics, primary care, behavioral health care, substance use treatment, harm reduction, recuperative care, and specialty care, then analyze practical barriers. | More Details ↗ |
| Ethical Field Observation and Reflexivity Log | Fellows observe an approved homelessness-related setting using a structured ethical observation framework. They separate objective observation from interpretation and reflection, while considering power, safety, confidentiality, discomfort, assumptions, and the limits of what can be learned through observation. | More Details ↗ |
| Rapid Mini-Survey Project | Fellows design and test a short survey on a homelessness-related topic, such as awareness of local services, transportation barriers or perceptions of safety. They write neutral questions, pilot the survey with peers or another approved group, revise for clarity, and summarize basic findings while acknowledging limitations. | More Details ↗ |
| Los Angeles Media and Narrative Audit | Fellows compare how homelessness is represented across two or three local media sources. They analyze language, framing, whose voices are included or excluded, whether coverage is fact-based or opinion-based, and whether the coverage emphasizes public safety, housing, services, individual behavior, neighborhood impact, or structural causes. | More Details ↗ |
| Systems Stakeholder Mapping | Fellows map major people, agencies, organizations, and community groups involved in the Los Angeles homelessness response system. They may include LAHSA, City Council, county departments, nonprofit providers, outreach teams, neighborhood councils, housed residents, business groups, advocacy groups, and people experiencing homelessness. | More Details ↗ |
| Intervention Deep Dive | Fellows study one homelessness intervention or service model, such as Permanent Supportive Housing, interim housing, street outreach, harm reduction, recuperative care, Intensive Case Management Services, Individual Placement Support, Time Limited Support, eviction prevention, or rapid rehousing. They identify a local example and analyze the model’s intended outcomes, strengths, limitations, and implementation challenges. | More Details ↗ |
| Incentivizing Research Participation and Providing Comfort: Demographic Survey Donation Planning | Fellows support USC’s Homeless Count Demographic Survey team by examining why participant donations matter in field-based homelessness research. Fellows will learn how small, practical items can support dignity, comfort, trust, and participation during survey work; gather input from approved Demographic Survey staff, surveyors, partner sites, or approved survey respondents; compare needs across LA County regions, including SPA 1 and Antelope Valley; identify feasible donation sources; create a donation source plan; and help plan or host a donation drive for future participants. | More Details ↗ |
Submit Assignments
All assignments should be submitted here by the deadline provided.
| Assignment | Due Date | Submit |
|---|---|---|
| CITI Training Completion Certificate | Please submit upon Complete. | Assignment material Open until Aug 1, 3:50 PM PT |
| Presentation Reflection Assignment - Asynchronous Viewers | Ongoing: Complete one every time you view a recording of a presentation. | Assignment material ↗ Open until Aug 1, 3:47 PM PT |
| Post Seminar/Talk Survey for Students and Staff | Please fill out after every Presentation | Assignment material ↗ Open until Aug 1, 3:55 PM PT |
Capstone Project
Your capstone presentation is your opportunity to share what you did during your Self-Directed Activity, what you learned, and how your activity connects to homelessness, housing, services, research, policy, or community response. You do not need to complete a separate major research project. Your Self-Directed Activity is the main focus of your capstone.
Recommended slide flow
- 1Step 1: Introduce Your Activity
- 2Step 2: Explain What You Did
- 3Step 3: Show an Example of Your Work
- 4Step 4: Share What You Learned
- 5Step 5: Connect Your Activity to a Larger Issue
- 6Step 6: End with Your Reflection
Important Contacts and Addresses
| Need | Contact | Use For |
|---|---|---|
| General Program Questions | Amy Stein, Program Administrator / Covered Activity Administratorsteinamy@usc.edu646-391-8637 | Attendance, schedule, parent questions, documentation, concerns, escalation |
| Program Oversight | Dr. Ben Henwood, HPRI Directorbhenwood@usc.edu610-731-6872 | Program Oversight |
| Weekly Project Support | Assigned Mentor- please see list above and communicate via Slack | Work plan, assignment questions, capstone development, feedback |
| Youth Protection Concerns | USC Office of Youth Protection and Programmingminors@usc.edu | Concerns related to adult conduct, safety, supervision, or youth protection |
| Emergency or Immediate Threat | 911 or USC Department of Public Safety as directed by program staff | Immediate danger, medical emergency, safety threat |
HPRI/H3E Downtown Office - USC City Center
1150 S. Olive Street, Suite 1100
Los Angeles, CA 90015
USC Main Campus - USC Social Work Center
665 W. 34th Street, Room 106
Los Angeles, CA 90089
Send us a message
Questions about the program? Use the form below — we reply by email, and you’ll get a copy of your message.