Carnegie Mellon University is one of six institutions partnering with the Viewpoints Fellowship(opens in new window), a yearlong, paid leadership program designed to equip students with the necessary skills to productively navigate disagreement, lead constructive dialogue and foster more resilient campus communities.
The fellowship is a partnership between the student-founded nonprofit The Viewpoints Project(opens in new window) and CMU’s Civility Initiatives(opens in new window) and Office of Community Engagement and Leadership Development(opens in new window).
Through training, mentorship and hands-on activities, the fellowship teaches an interdisciplinary method of engaging differences with curiosity and empowers student leaders to create and implement programming that promotes constructive dialogue within their communities.
The fellowship is open to current sophomores and juniors who hold leadership roles in student organizations. No prior experience in dialogue or conflict resolution is required. Applications are open(opens in new window) through March 30, 2026, and interested students can learn more at an information session(opens in new window) on March 24.
“The Viewpoints partnership aligns perfectly with our mission to move beyond surface-level interactions and build the restorative muscles needed for stronger, more resilient communities,” said Candace Okello, assistant dean of student affairs for civility initiatives. “By honoring diverse perspectives, growing from mistakes and listening to understand, our fellows will embody Carnegie Mellon’s Civility Tenets and what it truly means to be an engaged, community-minded leader.”
Launched as a two-campus pilot at Dartmouth College and Elon University in the 2025-26 academic year, the Viewpoints Fellowship has expanded to include CMU, Brigham Young University, the University of St. Thomas and the University of Delaware in 2026-27.
The fellowship centers on three questions: Why is it difficult to maintain a curious approach to disagreement? Why is this work vital? How can this mindset be cultivated across campus?
The program will begin Sept. 4-6, 2026, with an all-expenses-paid, off-campus retreat with fellows from peer institutions. Workshops and collaborative activities will focus on constructive disagreement, emotional resilience, community building and narrative storytelling.
During the fall semester, each fellow will identify an aspect of the training that would benefit their specific student organization and design a custom program to implement with their group. In the spring semester, fellows will collaborate with mentors and campus partners to launch a capstone event, such as a workshop series or conference, to engage the broader campus community.
Participants receive a $1,000 stipend and earn a LinkedIn certification in curious disagreement. They may return to the program in 2027-28 to serve as trainers and mentors.
“In a world that often demands we retreat into silos, the Viewpoints Fellowship asks students to do the hard, more radical work: to stay in the room,” Okello said. “This fellowship is about more than just launching a project within a student organization; it is about the learning that occurs during the process.”
“Carnegie Mellon University is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The institution was originally established in 1900 by Andrew Carnegie as the Carnegie Technical School. In 1912, it became the Carnegie Institute of Technology and began granting four-year degrees.”
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