Brown Fellows Program Structure

Signature Enrichment Opportunities 

Eudaimonia 

This two-week experience takes place during the summer prior to beginning college.  New Fellows from U of L and Centre (20 total) spend a week together on the campus of Centre College, bonding as a cohort while learning about leadership, self-reflection, and their potential as Brown Fellows.  In the second week, Fellows travel to Louisville, where they stay on U of L’s campus and work with local nonprofit organizations.  These activities typically occur in mid-to-late June.

Group International Trip

Between the first and second years of college, the twenty Fellows from both campuses spend two weeks traveling together internationally. Since 2014, the destination has been Strasbourg, France, where the Fellows live in apartments and explore the Alsace region through a combination of independent and group activities. The trip typically occurs in the last week of July and first week of August, after the completion of Speed School final exams. 

Individual Enrichment Experiences

Fellows will have two opportunities to apply for enrichment funding from the James Graham Brown Foundation. The Brown Fellows class mentor will assist the Fellow in proposing activities - e.g., research, specialized study, service, internships - that support the Fellow's academic and professional interests. Each project may be funded up to $6,000. While these projects typically occur during the summer, the program works closely with Speed School students to accommodate co-op schedules and determine project timing. 

Annual Events

Brown Fellows Symposium

This annual showcase of enrichment experiences features posters detailing individual projects as well as presentations for outstanding individual projects and from the first-year service groups.

Leadership and Networking Conference (LiNC)

Introduced in 2016, LiNC usually takes the form of a dinner that provides an opportunity for Fellows to connect with local leaders and program alumni, who serve as table hosts. Past keynote speakers include Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer and former Kentucky Lieutenant Governor Crit Luallen. This event is typically hosted on U of L's campus. 

Kentucky Connection

These semi-annual trips to destinations in Kentucky are designed to educate Fellows about different parts of the state and prepare them to be knowledgable ambassadors for the Commonwealth. The trips occur on weekends - one in the fall, one in the spring - and Fellows will complete a cycle of eight trips during their undergraduate careers. The Kentucky Connection will be recognized with an Education Award by the Kentucky Historical Society in November 2017.

Regular Meetings

Class Meetings

All Fellows enroll in a one-credit-hour seminar course taught by their faculty class mentor. The class of ten meets approximately once every two weeks during the semester, with a focus on student development, preparing for various program activities (e.g., the international trip or enrichment project proposals), and learning about the University.

Campus Program Meeting

Approximately once per month, all forty U of L Fellows gather for an evening meeting to enjoy dinner, catch up with each other, and discuss program business.