Overview
During the 5-day program, participants will learn from a collection of academic teachers and active practitioners. Participants and mentors will represent a wide spectrum of disciplines including the arts, natural science, social science and theology. The teaching methods include tutorial mentoring, collaborative discussion, individual and group reflection.
The location at Turkey Run State Park places participants in an area of rich cultural and natural heritage. The program will immerse participants in the landscape and encourage exploration. Byron inspires a sense of wonder, awe and respect for the complexity and beauty of natural and cultural systems.
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 learning include:
- Theological Basis for Sustainable Community Action
- Local Natural Heritage including Geology, Flora and Fauna
- Local Cultural Heritage
- Learning Through the Stories of Place
- Mindfulness and Systems Thinking
- Transformative Action, Appreciative Inquiry, and Positive Deviance
- Economic Structure and External Incentives for Sustainability
- Values, Purpose, Passion and Internal Motivations for Sustainability
- Political Action and Community Initiative
- Fostering Trust, Relationship, and Design for Community
- Restoration Ecology, Agriculture and Forestry
Past invited mentors include:
Anna Jetmore-VargasAnna Jetmore-Vargas is founder and owner of The Newday Group, a freelance sustainability consulting firm based in Indianapolis, Indiana. Anna focuses her practice on delivering ...
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Cliff ChapmanCliff Chapman is the Conservation Director for the Central Indiana Land Trust and has worked in the field of land conservation since 1997. Since graduating ...
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Gabriel FilippelliDr. Gabriel Filippelli specializes in climate change science and environmental geochemistry, and is a Professor of Earth Sciences at Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis ...
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Anamaria AristizabalAnamaria Aristizabal is a Certified Integral Coach®, Consultant, and Trained Facilitator working to support individuals, groups, and organizations in their development and change initiatives. ...
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Kate WarpoolKate is the Mentor Communications Facilitator for the Byron Fellowship. She participated in the fellowship in the late summer of 2011. Kate recently started a ...
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Allyson PumphreyAllyson Pumphrey President, Sustainable Catalyst Partners, LLC Indiana Program Director, Byron Fellowship Educational Foundation Allyson recently graduated law school and started an environmental sustainability consulting ...
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Amelia TerrapinAmelia is the Founder of Mobius, a curriculum for teaching science through movement. With over 20 years of experience as a dancer, educator and choreographer, she brings ...
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Harry PickensHarry is a professional jazz pianist, composer, teacher, organizational consultant and engaged citizen. His inspiring and unique recordings, concerts and workshops have touched the lives ...
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Sarah SusankaSarah is a bestselling author, architect and cultural visionary, leading a movement to redefine the American home and lifestyle. She is the acclaimed author of ...
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Mike MitchellMike is a 7th Generation family farmer in Parke County. He hosts a visit and discussion at his modern production farm.
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Lee SuttnerLee is the Robert Shrock Emeritus Professor of Geological Sciences at Indiana University. Prior to his retirement about five years ago he served as both ...
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Judy O’BannonJudy is host and producer of the WFYI TV public television series Communities Building Community, Judy brings attention to the many ways Hoosiers foster community ...
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Mary McConnellMary is Executive Director of the Indiana Chapter of the Nature Conservancy. In 2006 she led a global assessment of the world’s forests for the ...
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Mike McKeownMike is a lifelong student of Native American wisdom and customs. Every year at Byron he leads the community assembly of the Indian Lodge.
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Rebecca DolanBecky is the Director of the Indiana Herbarium at Butler University and President of the Indiana Wildflower Society. In addition, she runs the Friesner Herbarium, ...
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Mel VisserMel is a chemical engineer who worked for 20 years in the manufacturing of pharmaceutical chemicals and 16 years in charge of environmental clean up ...
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Marion JacksonMarion is Professor Emeritus of Ecology at Indiana State University, former chairman of the Indiana Chapter of The Nature Conservancy, and past president of the ...
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Luke GaschoLuke is the Executive Director of Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center at Goshen University. Merry Lea is a 1,189-acre preserve with a diverse group of ...
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Jim BrainardJim serves as the Mayor of the City of Carmel, Indiana, and has implemented numerous environmental initiatives for the City of Carmel. He has signed ...
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Samuel FisherSamuel continues the family tradition of farming to Amish principles and runs a forage seed distribution business. At Byron he hosts a visit and discussion at ...
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Mark BoyceMark is the Founder of the Byron Fellowship and is Managing Director of True Homes – one of the fastest growing home builders in the country ...
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Gabriel GrantGabriel is a new father, Director of the Byron Fellowship, an organizational sustainability consultant, a program leader for Landmark Education, and a doctoral candidate in ...
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