ABOUT ASK BIG QUESTIONS:
Can we change the world through better conversation?
We believe we can.
We don't have many opportunities today to develop relationships with people of different backgrounds who may hold different viewpoints. When we have those opportunities, we are able to see beyond our differences to discover what we have more deeply in common. By having conversations around life's "Big Questions," we can create understanding among people on campus, in our communities, and around the world.
"Big Questions" are concerned with the topics that matter to all of us, regardless of our religious traditions, cultural heritage, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and personal or political beliefs. Together, through these conversations, we can understand each other, understand ourselves, and make the world a better place.
ABOUT THE FELLOWSHIP
The Ask Big Questions fellowship is an international cohort of students utilizing peer-to-peer engagement strategies to promote civil discourse on campus. Fellows and advisors are trained in facilitation, strategies to use social media for social change, and the inner personal work of creating space for conversation.
Fellows facilitate at least five small group Ask Big Questions conversations throughout the academic year and work together to create campaigns and events that engage the entire university in conversation. Twenty-five campuses will participate in 2013-2014. This fellowship is open to students at York University and the University of Toronto only.
You will be trained with student fellows around North America at Hillel’s Engagement Institute from July 31 – August 2, 2013. The Center for Civic Reflection and Ask Big Questions staff will facilitate this three day intensive training.
WHAT IS A BIG QUESTION?
Big Questions are human questions.
They're not Jewish questions or Christian questions, or Muslim questions or atheist questions. They're not Conservative, Liberal, or New Democrats questions. They're not young people questions or old people questions.
Big Questions are human questions. They're questions that matter to all of us, and they're questions all of us can answer
Ask Big Questions conversations start from this human place with questions like, “When do you conform?”, “Are we free?”, “What could we sacrifice to repair the world?”. Conversations always use an “Interpretive Thing (movie clip, poem, story, etc.) as a resource and are then guided by the people in the room. These conversations are meant to help students understand others and understand themself.
APPLICATION
Name:
Email:
Phone Number:
University: York or University of Toronto only (please circle/bold)
Major (if known):
Anticipated Graduation Year:
Please list which campus student groups or activities you are currently involved in. Please list any leadership positions with these groups.
ÿ Are you planning to be on campus for the full 2012-2013 academic year?
Y/N
ÿ Do you currently have a GPA of 3.0 or higher?
Y/N
ÿ Are you available and willing to attend the Engagement Institute Summer Training, Wednesday July 31st – Friday, August 2nd, in St. Louis?
Y/N
Please complete the following essays (500 words maximum per Essay):
1. We’ve all had significant conversations – the kinds that keep us up late at night talking in our dining halls and residence halls and remain with us long afterwards. Describe a time in which engaging in a conversation with someone else led you to better understand yourself.
2. Part of this fellowship involves building relationships with students and student organizations. With this in mind, describe a time you reached out and built a relationship with someone new or with a campus group. How did you approach them? What was the experience like? What, if anything, was challenging? What did you learn about them that you would not have known otherwise? How did you continue to develop the relationship after the initial meeting?
DOCUMENTS TO EMAIL:
Resume: Be sure to include addresses, employment, activities in which you have participated, volunteer involvement, leadership positions you have held and honors or awards you may have received.
Unofficial Transcript: An unofficial copy of your university transcript must be in a Word, text or PDF format. We do not need official copies of your transcript and please do not send a hard copy.
askbigquestions.org
understand others. understand yourself.