Be bold. Think big. Drive change. 

If you or someone you know is working to solve some of the world’s biggest problems, Echoing Green wants to hear from you. Echoing Green Fellowship Programs (Global Fellowship, Open Society Black Male Achievement (BMA) Fellowship, and Climate Fellowship) identify promising social entrepreneurs with bold ideas and provides them with up to $90,000 in seed funding, strategic support, and a powerful network. Follow in the footsteps of other Echoing Green fellows from Wesleyan, including Claire Blumenson, Kennedy Odede, and Jessica Posner.

Applications opened on 12/3 and close 1/6. Read more and apply here.

Tags: Echoing Green, fellowships

Millennial Trains Project is a D.C.- based non-profit that leads ten-day crowdfunded, transcontinental train journeys for young leaders to explore their creative, professional, and personal frontiers on a national scale.

Participants must design a project they want to advance across the seven communities where the train stops and race to raise $5,000 from multiple backers on MTP’s custom crowdfunding platform. Onboard a caravan of vintage railcars, MTP participants will travel from Los Angeles to Miami with stops in Albuquerque, NM, Kansas City, MO, Louisville, KY, Chattanooga, TN, and Atlanta, GA from March 16- 26, 2014.

The first 40 applicants to reach the $5,000 funding goal by January 15th will secure a spot on the train. Click here for more details on how to design and launch a winning MTP crowdfunding campaign. Successful applicants typically reach their goal in 2-3 weeks.

Learn more and apply at http://millennialtrain.co/.

Note: MTP participants would be eligible to apply for a Patricelli Center Enrichment Grant to cover a small portion of the $5,000 trip cost.

The Global Engagement Summit (GES) is a student-led initiative of Northeastern University designed to build the capacity of the next generation of change-makers. By identifying talented, young individuals, providing skills training and connecting driven students with innovative thought leaders, GES empowers them to produce responsible and sustainable solutions to shared global problems. 

Since 2006, more than 700 delegates from universities across the globe have participated in GES. Delegates present a community development project or social entrepreneurship venture that they want to advance to the next stage. During a week of capacity-building workshops, critical discussions, and networking sessions, students work to improve their projects and learn skills that will serve them throughout their career.

Learn more about the GES Annual Summit here.

Note: GES participants would be eligible to apply for a Patricelli Center Enrichment Grant to cover a portion of the travel and summit costs.

Tags: conferences

Re-blog from the MINDS Foundation, this is a great way to take part in #GivingTuesday!

MINDS & Simple2Give Join Forces for an Impactful Holiday Season

Looking for a way to shake up your winter break? Check out this opportunity brought to our attention by Sarah-Jane Ripa ’02:

PRICE

$1410

DURATION

3 weeks

PARTICIPANT

8 min to 15 max

DISTANCE

Cambodia

We begin our journey by first landing in the capital city of Phnom Penh, where we will settle for few days at our favorite guest house. We will have a chance to visit and understand the unique culture of Cambodia, to visit the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda, and experience the traditional blessings from the local monks for our safe and good luck journey.

On the next day, we will continue to learn more about the dark period of Cambodia’s history over the last 30 years, during the rule of the Khmer Rouge. We will visit the Toul Sleng prison, where Pol Pot tortured prisoners and then sent them to the Choeung Ek killing fields…

Read more about this opportunity here.

Win $10,000 to pursue your green idea! REVERB is issuing a Campus Consciousness Challenge to find the next great sustainable idea and all undergrads are encouraged to apply.

What kind of green ideas?

• Something that inspires
• A new product or service
• A community campaign
• A campus-based change
• A work of art
• Something that changes hearts and minds
• Something that makes a real impact

Submissions will be judged on: 

• Achievability: the likelihood that the applicant will make project a reality with $1000 grant
• Potential Success: the likelihood of the project growing and succeeding
• Potential Measurable Positive Environmental Impact (quantifiable)
• Potential Awareness Impact (changing hearts and minds)

For more information and complete rules, visit the Campus Consciousness Challenge website here.

Tags: sustainability

Bridget Adarkwa ’17 was selected to receive an Enrichment Grant from the Patricelli Center for Social Entrepreneurship. This funding helped support a trip to Wharton Business School’s 21st Annual Africa Business Forum. Read Bridget’s story below, and visit the PCSE website to learn more about our Enrichment Grants.

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This past weekend, PCSE afforded me the opportunity to travel alongside some friends to Wharton Business School’s 21st Annual Africa Business Forum. An exciting and new venture, the conference promised to illuminate the journey of the individual in pursuit of growth in entrepreneurship, business, media/entertainment and government. As a freshman, this seemed perfect for my varying career interests as well as my great love for Africa.

While it was just two days, I tried to take advantage of everything the conference had to offer. They had a total of 13 panels ranging from “Winning in Africa” to “Revolutionizing Education in Africa.” My personal favorites were “The Rise of Sophisticated African Consumer: Implications for the Fashion, Media, and Entertainment Industry on the Continent” and “The Next Generation of African Leaders.” Both offered great tips on how to approach Africa in their specific sectors however, “The Next Generation of African Leaders” Panel in particular, really gave me the confidence I needed to understand the influence I have as an African young woman and the fact that my time to make a difference is now. The conference was succeeded by a Gala Dinner where all the attendees networked and discussed noted from earlier in the day over a delicious dinner. Overall, the entire experience showed me the power in my ideas and talents and how to use them in a way that’s most productive for myself and my country. With the new information, I hope to apply these lessons to my academic choices here at Wesleyan and even beyond graduation.

Tags: Africa, conferences

As a part of the Middletown Thanksgiving Project, this year Wesleyan students, staff, and faculty members contributed to the making of 700 Thanksgiving Baskets!

Partners in the Middletown Community Thanksgiving Project are Community Renewal Team, Cross Street AME Zion Church, Fellowship Church, Heritage Commons, Liberty Bank Foundation, Middlesex County Community Foundation, Middlesex United Way, the Middletown Interfaith Community, Middletown Kiwanis Club, Middletown Police Department, Middletown Public Schools, Middletown Rotary Club, St. John Roman Catholic Church, St. Luke’s Eldercare Services, St. Vincent De Paul Middletown/Amazing Grace Food Pantry, The Salvation Army, and Wesleyan University.

Those pictured include Eli Walton ’14, OCS Coordinator Diana Martinez ’07, and Director for the Center for Community Partnerships Cathy Lechowicz.