Orientation Retreat: Fellows are required to attend orientation retreat in June. The orientation retreat has traditionally been an overnight camping retreat in the Angeles National Forest Jackson Flats Campground.
Mid Year Retreat: Fellows must attend a day-long retreat in December.
Service Project: Working in collaboration with a local community agency, each Fellow must design and carry out a service project of at least 200 hours that addresses an unmet community health need. Each Fellow will work under the supervision of a Site Mentor from the participating agency and an Academic Mentor of the student’s choice from the student’s current academic institution The Program Director is available to provide support and guidance throughout the Fellowship year. The 200 hours must be conducted separately from any school course requirement. Monthly meetings and other Fellowship programming/reports are not part of the required 200 hours. At least half of the 200 hours must be spent in direct, face-to-face contact with the population being served. These direct service hours do not include administrative duties or research. In designing a project, applicants should carefully consider the issues of evaluation and sustainability and include their ideas for addressing these aspects of the project.
Reports: Fellows are required to submit monthly reports about their activities and a comprehensive written final report to their Program Director, Academic Mentor, and Site Mentor.
Evaluation: Fellows are required to complete a pre and post survey administered by the national Fellowship consortium. Site and academic mentors must also complete a survey at the conclusion of the Fellowship year.
Monthly Meetings: Monthly meetings provide the Fellows with leadership development, skills-based workshops, interdisciplinary discussions, time for reflection on community service, and an opportunity to network with like-minded students from diverse fields as well as professionals in areas of interest to them. Fellows must attend all meetings. Fellows are permitted two missed meetings due to unavoidable conflicts, missing a third meeting, however, will result in termination from the program.
Public Outreach: Fellows work together in groups to organize one or more public outreach activities that may take the form of public symposia and/or group service activities.
Recruitment: In the fall of each year, Fellows may be asked to organize information sessions about the Schweitzer Fellows Program and present information at their schools about their Fellowship experiences.
Health Symposium: Fellows will organize an annual health symposium in January. Their responsibilities include crafting a theme, inviting speakers, marketing, and day-of operations.
Stipend: Fellows receive a stipend of $2,000, distributed at the end of the Fellowship year once program objectives are completed. The stipend may be used in any way the Fellow wishes, including project-related costs and personal expenses. As funding is limited, The Albert Schweitzer Fellowship is unable to provide any additional financial support beyond the stipend.
Celebration of Service: Newly accepted Fellows must attend the Celebration of Service held in honor of the graduating Fellows in April. Fellows are then required to attend a Celebration of Service in their honor at the completion of their service year.
