The Byron Fellowship is an interdisciplinary course in leadership and community development that uniquely engages participants through place-based learning in Indiana and North Carolina. Each Byron Fellowship program is available to undergraduates, graduate students, and recent graduates. Apply by March 29 for priority review.

Mission

The mission of the Byron Fellowship is to inspire leaders of the emerging generation to engage their unique abilities in leading generative efforts within their own communities.

Vision

Our vision is to achieve a renaissance in the health of human and natural communities.

Overview

During the 5-day program, participants learn alongside a collection of academic teachers and active practitioners. Fellows and mentors represent a wide spectrum of disciplines including the arts, natural science, social science, humanities and theology. The teaching methods include tutorial mentoring, collaborative dialogue, individual and group reflection.

The Indiana location at Turkey Run State Park places participants in an area of rich cultural and natural heritage and has hosted Byron for 10 years.  This year, we add an additional Byron Fellowship program at Warren Wilson College near Asheville, North Carolina.  Both programs immerse participants in the landscape and encourage exploration. Byron inspires a sense of wonder, awe and respect for the complexity and beauty of life.

Byron Fellowship incorporates a mix of informative and transformative learning. Throughout the Fellowship, participants are invited to contemplate their own unique abilities and personal values, to develop a clear vision for their vocation, and to articulate it for others. Participants are encouraged and challenged to reflect on and call into question their existing assumptions or mental models and to play with expanding their repertoire of ways of being in the world.

Topics of exploration include:

1. Values Systems and Theological Foundations for Sustainable Community and Action
2. Stories of Place, Local Cultural and Natural Heritage
3. Natural Systems, Human and Environment Interfaces including Agriculture
4. Authenticity, Vulnerability, Mindfulness, Ontology and Transformation
5. Presence, Dialogue, and Co-creation
6. Pitfalls, Pathways and Paradox in the pursuit of Sustainability
7. Integral Theory, Systems Thinking, and Design
8. Appreciative Inquiry and Positive Deviance
9. Envisioning and the Creative Process
10. Crafting, Sharing and Inspiring Vision, Values, Purpose, and Passion
11. Systems, Policy, Economic and External Structures in support of Flourishing
12. Fostering Trust, Relationship, and Design for Community

Eligibility

Each Byron Fellowship program is available to 20 upper class undergraduates, graduate students, and recent graduates from throughout the world by application. With the addition of the North Carolina program this year, there is now room for 40 Fellows per year between the two programs.  Prospective Fellows are evaluated based on their demonstrated academic, civic, and professional leadership. Strong attention is paid toward crafting every Fellowship with diversity capable of supporting a holistic exploration of sustainability.

Cost

The tuition fee of the Fellowship is limited to a subsidized cost of food and lodging, $250. A number of full scholarships are available based upon the financial need and academic excellence of candidates. Students from developing countries may also request travel support. To request a financial assistance application, please email us at: info@byronfellowship.org

Application

Rolling admissions are open for both programs at least until March 29th or until the program is filled. During our enrollment and registration period, we review applications on a bi-weekly basis.  Priority is given to the first students to apply from their particular area of study to create diversity for a hollistic exploration of sustainability. For instance, should we receive for review applications from two strong architecture students, priority will be given to the applicant who first completed their application. As such, we highly suggest applying as soon as possible within our enrollment and registration period.Participants who are not admitted because their academic specialties overlap with other participants may be directly admitted or given early priority to apply in the following year.

Interested participants for the Fellowship should submit an application as soon as possible to make certain your application is considered. Nominations are not required to participate.

Submit one application to apply for either or both North Carolina and Indiana. We encourage you to apply for both programs to maximize your opportunity for participation. There is a field within the application to state your preference for one program over the other.

To access the online application, please click here.