The University of St. Thomas is one of six institutions nationwide selected for the 2026-2027 Viewpoints Fellowship, a year-long leadership program that trains student organization leaders to navigate disagreement with curiosity. The fellowship is a partnership between The Viewpoints Project, the Jay Phillips Center for Interreligious Studies and the College of Arts and Sciences.

St. Thomas joins Dartmouth College, Brigham Young University, Carnegie Mellon University, Elon University and the University of Delaware in the fellowship’s expanding national cohort. The program launched as a two-campus pilot at Dartmouth College and Elon University in 2025-2026 and is now scaling to six universities.

Applications are open to undergraduate student leaders through March 30, 2026. Apply at viewpointsproject.org/fellowship.

Why this fellowship

Most students lead organizations but receive little training in how to engage disagreement productively within those groups. The Viewpoints Fellowship takes a different approach from traditional dialogue programming. Rather than creating a standalone workshop, it embeds the skills of constructive disagreement directly into the student organizations where fellows already lead.

The fellowship is grounded in interdisciplinary research spanning psychology, neuroscience, conflict resolution and civics education. Its core premise is that curiosity is a learnable disposition, not just a personality trait, and that it can be cultivated through structured practice, mentorship and peer-to-peer engagement.

The program centers on three questions:

• Why is it hard to have a curious approach to difference and disagreement?
• Why is it worthwhile and important nonetheless?
• How can we cultivate such an approach in our student organizations and on our campus?

What fellows do

The fellowship begins with introductory programming in May 2026 and continues through the full academic year.

Organization-based project (fall semester). Each fellow identifies an aspect of the training that would benefit their student organization and, working with a student mentor, designs and leads a custom program tailored to their group. A student newspaper editor might create a workshop on active listening for their interview team. A fraternity leader might design a storytelling evening to build understanding across the chapter.

Winter retreat (February, virtual). Fellows reflect on their fall projects, learn from peers across all six campuses, and begin designing a campus-wide capstone project.

Capstone project (spring semester). With support from Viewpoints Project mentors and campus stakeholders, fellows design and implement an ambitious project that engages the broader St. Thomas community.

What fellows receive

• $1,000 stipend
• Training in navigating difficult conversations, civil discourse and building stronger organizations
• One-on-one mentorship from a Viewpoints Project student mentor
• An all-expenses-paid retreat with student leaders from across the country
• A LinkedIn Certification in Curious Disagreement
• A national network of peers committed to constructive engagement across difference

Who should apply

The fellowship is designed for sophomores and juniors at St. Thomas who hold leadership roles in student organizations. All types of organizations are welcome: sports teams, Greek life, political clubs, pre-professional groups, student publications, student government, cultural organizations, religious groups and more. No prior experience in dialogue or conflict resolution is needed.

Application deadline: March 30, 2026
Decisions released: mid-April 2026
First campus gathering: mid-May 2026
Time commitment: 4-8 hours per month (three retreats, biweekly meetings)

Apply now at viewpointsproject.org/fellowship

Questions? Contact info@viewpointsproject.org or the Jay Phillips Center at jpc@stthomas.edu.

The Viewpoints Project on campus: Shira Hoffer’s visit

In February, The Viewpoints Project’s founder and executive director, Shira Hoffer, spent two days at St. Thomas meeting with students, faculty, staff and administrators. Her visit offered a firsthand look at the fellowship’s approach and the organization behind it.

On February 17, Hoffer joined a public panel, “Justice, Character, and the Art of Disagreement,” alongside Aaron Cobb (Senior Scholar of Character, Educating Character Initiative), Mikeya Griffin (President and CEO, Rondo Community Land Trust) and Yohuru Williams (Distinguished University Chair and Founding Director, Racial Justice Initiative, University of St. Thomas). The panel explored how the virtue of justice guides ethical leadership across difference in diverse democracies, drawing on the panelists’ varied vocational journeys and moral frameworks. The event was organized by the Four Pillars Project and the Jay Phillips Center, in collaboration with the Center for the Common Good and CEVA, with funding from Interfaith America and Wake Forest University’s Educating Character Initiative.

The following day, Hoffer led an interactive student workshop, “Tangible Skills for Curious Disagreement,” introducing the science behind why conversations across difference are difficult and offering a practical toolkit for engaging more productively. The workshop was organized by the Jay Phillips Center in collaboration with Bridge St. Thomas, the Center for the Common Good and CEVA, with support from Interfaith America. She also facilitated a separate workshop for faculty and met with campus stakeholders throughout the visit.

About The Viewpoints Project

The Viewpoints Project is a student-founded 501(c)(3) dedicated to increasing capacity for curious approaches to difference and disagreement in educational settings. Founded by Shira Hoffer during her time at Harvard, the organization was formerly known as the Institute for Multipartisan Education. It partners with universities across the country to equip student leaders with practical skills for navigating conflict and polarization. Learn more at viewpointsproject.org.