In 2016, AVDF awarded a three-year, $100,000 grant to Elon University to launch their Multi-Faith Scholars Program. The program aimed to enroll 5 students per year for two-year fellowships as juniors and seniors. Selected students were required to major or minor in Religious Studies, conduct research with faculty, participate in a community partnership administered through a local mosque, and propose and carry out other leadership activities related to interfaith engagement. The project concluded with a capstone event early in 2020.
Student research spanned a wide range of topics, including projects on Muslim migrants’ acculturation to the US, identity and religion among Haitians in Miami, and Jewish responses to White Nationalist movements. Graduates of the program have gone on to work in many related fields, including graduate study in international relations and in global religions.
Given high student interest in the program, Elon has agreed to provide ongoing support with university funds. And Elon’s successes have inspired other institutions, like the University of St. Thomas, to seek to replicate the program on their campuses.
Learn more about Elon’s Multifaith Scholars here, here, and here.
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