What is the Compassion in Action Network?

The Compassion In Action Network is a movement and community of young people working to create a happy, just, and flourishing world. Students and youth have always been at the forefront of social change, and today’s rising generation knows that our challenges are interconnected and that we need both inner changes at the personal level as well as outer changes in our communities and world. In partnership with people across the United States and Canada, we are growing a network of next-generation leaders who live and act compassionately for the benefit of all.

We live in one of the most critical moments in human history, facing challenges and opportunities like no previous generation. It is a time that is calling us to transform ourselves as we actively engage with others in the healing of our world.

While this may be a challenging time to be young and alive, our generation also has many privileges and gifts, including access to time-honored wisdom, traditions, and practices.

A Yearlong Inner & Outer Change Program for Student Leaders

“When you change as an individual, you change the world.”
– the Dalai Lama

We are living at a critical moment in human history, facing complex challenges like no generation before. It is a time that is calling us to transform ourselves and each other as we actively engage in the healing of our world.

The Compassion in Action Fellowship is a yearlong inner & outer change program that supports college and university student leaders in learning meditation practice, building community, and promoting social change. The fellowship integrates ancient and modern wisdom to support young leaders of today in addressing the interconnected challenges of the twenty-first century.

Inspired by the path of the bodhisattva – awakened beings filled with compassion and committed to ending all suffering and benefiting all life—student fellows embark upon a journey that includes personal development, community building, shared learning, and collaborative action as they transform their lives, campus, and society.

In this fourth year of the program, we are excited to partner with students and campuses across the United States and Canada, working to create a happy, just and flourishing world.

“Inner work goes hand-in-hand with outer work to create something powerful that can manifest in the world.”

– Lama Tsomo

As a Compassion In Action Fellow You Will

• Join an inspiring community of like-minded students engaged in personal and social change
• Learn time-tested and science-backed Tibetan Buddhist meditation practices that you can use to decrease your stress, increase your focus, and improve your overall physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being
• Be supported in launching & leading a student group on your campus to engage in shared learning & practice, and cultivate authentic, satisfying friendships that can last a lifetime
• Develop foundational life and leadership skills for creating personal, interpersonal, and social change
• Receive direct guidance and mentoring from Tibetan and Western experts
• Contribute to the alleviation of suffering caused by our interconnected challenges, and create a world that works for all

Who Should Apply

Students ages 18 – 27 attending colleges and universities in the United States and Canada who are committed to creating inner and outer change. We are seeking applications from two students per campus to strengthen the success and impact of the fellowship. Individual applicants will also be considered on a case-by-case basis. Please identify someone on your campus that you feel would be a fit to collaborate with, and invite them to apply as well. If you are not already connected to someone who feels like a candidate, our team will work with you after we’ve received your application to share this opportunity with other people and groups on your campus.

Additional criteria for becoming a Compassion in Action Fellow include:

• You are enrolled at a college or university campus in the United States or Canada
• You have an ability to commit an average of 6 hours a week to the activities of the Fellowship program; to attend our Fellowship launch retreat this summer; and to participate in one weekend retreat each semester during the year (Please note, these retreats may be held virtually). 
• You have an interest in developing personal and group leadership skills, and in learning about how to create social change
• You have an interest in meditation and daily personal practice
• You have a commitment to diversity, equity and team collaboration
• You have a willingness to learn & grow in new ways

The Curriculum

The curriculum for the Compassion in Action Fellowship is a dynamic blend of ancient and modern wisdom tools and practices. Our “personal, community, world” approach is designed to support leadership and social change in a way that is responsive to the unique challenges of the 21st century. As such, the intention is for Fellows to explore some of the following skills and practices, through their engagement with the resources and learning circle activities in their campus chapters: