(And why should I take advantage of this wonderful opportunity)

WHO CAN APPLY? Juniors and seniors are eligible to apply. You should be willing to engage in interesting intellectual conversation with experts in your field, appreciate Frank 's , and enjoy wonderful food and hospitality. Application forms are available on the DOC website under Fellowships & Scholarships, Information for Students or from Elizabeth J. Ciner, Associate Dean of the College, Laird 131.

WHAT IS WINGSPREAD? Wingspread is a Frank Lloyd Wright designed home built on many acres of land not far from Lake Michigan for Herbert Fisk Johnson of the Johnson Wax Company in Racine, . Constructed in the 1930s, it is the last and the largest of his prairie homes (14,000 square feet!). In 1959, Mr. Johnson established The Johnson Foundation, a private foundation dedicated to hosting intellectual conferences.

The conferences are held on the Johnson family estate and many of the activities take place in Wright's prairie house and the home next door (which is also beautiful). Tours are available upon request when you are there for a conference. During afternoon free time you can wander through the house and the estate; the entire staff is very accommodating to your needs and interests. In nice weather, bicycles are provided for you and you may ride to the lake or around the estate. Drinks and hor d' oerves are served before lunch and dinner; everyone becomes well acquainted during the social time. Don't worry about not knowing anyone. If you are friendly and introduce yourself, people will be interested in you and what you are doing. Share your thoughts and experiences with them, and they will do so with you. Meals are eaten in the Johnson family's dining room; the food is terrific. If you are fortunate enough to attend a Wingspread conference you can expect to meet many interesting people and hear new ideas--ideas that are current and on the cutting edge of action and policy today - and have a chance to "network" with business, academic, and community leaders.

WHAT ARE THE CONFERENCES LIKE and WHAT IS MY ROLE? The conferences typically begin at nine in the morning and last until about nine or ten at night. There are long hours with questions and stimulating conversation. As a Wingspread Fellow, you will sit with the group of experts and observe and participate as appropriate in the discussion. If you choose to participate during actual conference time (as opposed to social time), give some thought to how you can contribute intelligently and productively. At a recent conference on improving the retention of under-represented groups in science majors, a female student was able to talk about what had inspired her – and her contribution to the group was really appreciated.

For each conference, there is a chairperson who will set the tone for the next few days. However, according to the Johnson Foundation's rules, the conference has to be oriented toward solving a social problem or deficiency. The first item on the agenda is to define the problem and the second centers around its solution. The conferences will vary as do the topics and participants, but one element remains; the discussion is likely to be intense and challenging.

ARE STUDENTS GIVEN A CHOICE IN CONFERENCES? Yes, you may choose any conference that you find interesting, but once you have identified something you are interested in you need to act quickly, as there is a fair amount of competition for each conference. See below for application information. If you are chosen to be a Wingspread Fellow, you will be sent several schedules containing descriptions of upcoming conferences and travel information.

You do not need to major in the subject of the conference to have a good time and get a great deal out of it. However, you should choose something related to your field. In most cases it is necessary to have some background knowledge on the subject in order to understand and appreciate the conference.

Be sure to check your calendar. The Johnson Foundation is being very generous and it will be very embarrassing if you cancel at the last minute for something that was foreseeable. In the case of an emergency where you are unable to attend the conference, call Lisa Piche at The Johnson Foundation (262) 681-3320 as soon as possible to let them know. You might also want to send them a letter of apology depending upon the circumstances.

Carleton students are not eligible for one day briefings.

HOW DO I APPLY FOR A CONFERENCE? The most important factor in the application process is speed! In order to attend a Wingspread Conference you must receive permission from The Johnson Foundation. The process is quite simple and is conducted via the Associate Dean of the College Office.

New conference listings and an application form will be sent to you via e-mail every month or so. After reviewing the list of upcoming conferences, all you need to do to apply is to fill out their short application form, write a letter of interest, and a short biography (both of which you can paste onto the bottom of the application) and e-mail it to [email protected].

Your letter of interest should state your future goals, why you are interested in the conference, how the conference is connected to your academic or other activities, and any other interesting information about why you should be chosen to attend.

As part of your application to be a Wingspread scholar you will have written a biography, in the third person, which includes items such as your major and/or concentration, year in school, volunteer or work experience, internships, and career and life goals. You can submit the same one for every conference that you apply for, just paste it to the bottom of the application form along with your letter of interest. If you are chosen, your bio will be inserted in the conference program that all participants receive.

We will forward your application, letter of interest, and biography to the Johnson Foundation. They will notify us about the status of your application and then we will notify you via e-mail.

If you are not accepted to a conference, don't worry. Apply for another one! Most likely, you were not chosen because they already had the maximum number of Fellows.

DO I NEED TO PREPARE FOR A CONFERENCE? It is not a bad idea to do a little homework before you get to your conference. Newspapers and journals are good places to do a little brush up work. If time allows, you will receive further information about the conference participants and goals which will give you a better idea of what the conference is all about. Remember, in many cases you will be working with experts. Obviously not all conferences will be conducive to researching in current sources but you can still find out who is involved in the conference and what some of their other projects have been. This is probably more typical of conferences dealing with highly technical subjects.

If you do not have time and you are familiar with the subject area, you'll probably do fine. Just remember to relax and be yourself with the participants and that you are probably not yet an expert on the subject of the conference!

TRAVEL The Johnson Foundation will reimburse your travel expenses (e.g. mileage, tolls, or train fare); complete the form that you receive at check-in. If you are flying from out of state, please contact Carlson Wagonlit Travel (800-845-0047); they will arrange for a ticket for you (and bill them directly) and a Foundation driver will meet you at the airport and bring you to Racine.

When traveling to the Johnson Foundation you must leave from Carleton and return to Carleton. They will not pay for travel expenses to/from any other destination.

LODGING AND MEALS The Johnson Foundation will cover the costs of lodging and meals. You will be responsible for incidental expenses (telephone or laundry) that you incur.

WHAT SHOULD I WEAR? Dress at Wingspread is informal, but appropriate for a professional gathering. That means leave your T-shirts and jeans home. Most participants wear business attire the first day and somewhat more casual dress the following days.

WHEN IT'S OVER What you need to do for the Johnson Foundation— Within two weeks of attending a conference, Wingspread Fellows are expected to share with the foundation a brief essay reflecting on their experiences. Topics might include: What did you learn? What do you think now that you didn’t think before? Did the conference achieve its purpose? Who was the most interesting person you met and why? It is the program’s goal that experiences at conferences should make a substantial contribution to your education and broaden your perspectives. Your essay/summary can be sent to Lisa Piche at the address below and to Dean Elizabeth Ciner at [email protected]; it will be included on the Carleton web site as appropriate.

Most important of all, remember to send The Johnson Foundation a letter of thanks for their hospitality. It is indeed a rare opportunity for you to be able to participate in the Wingspread Conference as a student. Send your thank you note to:

The Johnson Foundation % Ms. Lisa Piche 33 East Four Mile Road Racine, WI 53401 Phone (262) 681-3320 FAX (262) 681-3325 [email protected]

What you need to do for Carleton— As a Wingspread Fellow, you are also required to follow up each conference you attend with a "dissemination project." The purpose of the project is to spread the knowledge that you gained from the conference to the Carleton community. This is how Carleton as a whole benefits from sending capable students to Wingspread Conferences. Dissemination projects can be a presentation in a related class, a newspaper article, or anything you feel will spread the information around. Please let Dean Ciner know how you disseminated what you learned at the conference; be sure to include anything appropriate for the website.

Wingspread Information.doc Updated 9/23/09