THE ALBERT SCHWEITZER FELLOWSHIP

THE ALBERT SCHWEITZER FELLOWSHIP COORDINATES THE U.S. SCHWEITZER FELLOWS PROGRAMS THROUGH 10 LOCAL SITES ACROSS THE U.S. EACH YEAR OVER 200 U.S. SCHWEITZER FELLOWS ARE SELECTED AND SUPPORTED IN CLOSELY-MENTORED YEAR-LONG COMMUNITY-BASED PROJECTS THAT ADDRESS IMPORTANT UNMET HEALTH-RELATED NEEDS AND OPPORTUNITIES IN THEIR LOCAL COMMUNITIES. FELLOWS ALSO RECEIVE LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT AND INTERDISCIPLINARY PEER SUPPORT PROGRAMMING THAT ENHANCES THEIR COMMITMENT TO, AND SKILLS IN, LIFELONG SERVICE TO UNDER-RESOURCED INDIVIDUALS AND COMMUNITIES, AND DEEPENS THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF THE UNDERLYING SOCIAL, POLITICAL AND MORAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH. COLLECTIVELY, THESE US SCHWEITZER FELLOWS ANNUALLY PROVIDE APPROXIMATELY 40,000 HOURS OF COMMUNITY-BASED ENGAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP ACROSS THE US. THE ALBERT SCHWEITZER FELLOWSHIP WAS FOUNDED TO SUPPORT THE ALBERT SCHWEITZER HOSPITAL IN LAMBARENE, GABON STARTING IN 1979. ASFS LAMBARENE SCHWEITZER FELLOWS (FOUR MEDICAL STUDENTS) WERE SELECTED AND SUPPORTED EACH YEAR TO PROVIDE MEDICAL CARE TO PATIENTS AT THE HOSPITAL. THE HOSPITAL IS NOW IN A PERIOD OF ORGANIZATIONAL TRANSITION, SO NO LAMBARENE SCHWEITZER FELLOWS WERE SELECTED THIS YEAR. THE SCHWEITZER FELLOWSHIP AIMS TO PROMOTE UNDERSTANDING OF DR. SCHWEITZERS PHILOSOPHY OF REVERENCE FOR LIFE, AND ITS IMPORTANCE IN ADDRESSING CONTEMPORARY PROBLEMS, INCLUDING ISSUES OF INDIVIDUAL AND COMMUNITY HEALTH AND WELL-BEING, ANIMAL WELFARE, ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES SUCH AS THE CLIMATE CRISIS AND THE DANGERS OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS. ASF HISTORICALLY HAD A PROGRAMMATIC GOAL TO ENSURE THAT DR. SCHWEIZERS WRITINGS ARE WIDELY AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH, SUPPORT CONFERENCES AND OTHER EVENTS, AND OVERSEE AND MAINTAINS IMPORTANT ARCHIVES AT SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY ABOUT DR. SCHWEITZER AND THE LAMBARENE HOSPITAL.