Call for Applications: Capacious Minds Fellows

The Kenan Institute for Ethics invites undergraduate students to apply for a new year-long fellowship program to launch this fall, Capacious Minds Fellows. Please note that the deadline to apply is Aug. 29, 11:59 p.m.

PROGRAM

Capacious Minds Fellows is a pilot program that aims to help undergraduate students develop “capacious minds” through multiple experiential practices, including

• open-ended and non-linear modes of engagement, such as play;
• embodied movements that reveal how our entire physical beings are involved in thinking, not just our brains; and
• the cultivation of wonder through the observation of the natural world.

The fall semester will focus on these activities. While the spring semester’s content will depend in part on our assessment of the fall, it will center on curiosity and how it affects the way “capacious minds” engage with ideas and information.

This fellowship seeks to complement the traditional academic ways of thinking and learning that students develop in the university classroom. Its goal is to help students engage with the world in a deeper, more present, and more curious way, building their capacity to enjoy learning for learning’s sake.

The Capacious Minds Fellowship is part of Capacious Minds, a program of The Purpose Project at Duke that will launch during the 2025–2026 academic year.

COMMITMENT

Capacious Minds Fellows are expected to participate in weekly two-hour sessions over the course of 10–11 weeks during the Fall and Spring semesters.

Fall semester sessions are scheduled on Wednesday evenings from 5–7 p.m. and will run on the following dates: Sept. 10, Sept. 17, Sept. 24, Oct 1, Oct. 8, Oct. 22, Oct. 29, Nov. 5, Nov. 12, Nov. 19, and a closing session on Dec. 3. Spring semester sessions will be scheduled after taking the Fellows’ availability into account.

Students are expected to attend all sessions. In some cases, students may be able to miss one session per semester after prior communication with the program director.

These sessions represent the bulk of students’ commitment. Students are not expected to do significant reading or other work in their own time that would be in any way comparable to a course workload.

However, students will likely also be asked to

• submit short weekly reflections in the format of their choosing (writing or audio),
• complete two hours of volunteer work once during the semester, and
• complete one experiential assignment on curiosity towards the semester’s end.

Because this is a pilot program, fellows will also be asked to help evaluate the content and structure of the program and suggest changes for future cohorts.

After completing the program, Capacious Minds Fellows will also be eligible to apply to be Fellowship mentors/facilitators for the following academic year.

ELIGIBILITY

All undergraduate students are eligible to apply.

AWARD

Fellows will receive $500 after successfully completing the Fall and Spring semesters of the program (for a total of $1000).

APPLY

To apply, please complete the following Qualtrics form. In addition to providing your name, Duke Unique ID, class year, and your availability to attend the scheduled sessions in the fall, we’ll ask you to write thoughtful answers to five open-ended questions.

The application deadline is Aug. 29, 11:59 p.m.

APPLY HERE

CONTACT

If you have any questions about this program, please contact the director of the Capacious Minds Fellowship Program, Brooks Emanuel, at brooks.emanuel@duke.edu.