What is the Caleb Scholars Program?
The Caleb Scholars Program offers extensive support to our fellows, known as Caleb Scholars. This fellowship aims to develop leadership skills that individuals can use to achieve their academic and professional goals, as well as support their advocacy work. Our program emphasizes conservation and advocacy through an Indigenous perspective with a focus on protecting our Arctic homelands by upholding our traditional relationships to our ecosystems as we have done for thousands of years.
Caleb Scholars are required to regularly meet with their cohort via monthly Virtual Qargi gatherings, work individually with their program mentor, and take advantage of various opportunities, including paid personalized internships, travel grants for returning to their home community or attending conferences, and more.
Are you passionate about Inuit-led conservation advocacy and willing to dedicate time to build your advocacy skills with others? If so, the Caleb Scholars Program may be right for you!
Ready to apply?
The Caleb Scholars Program is highly competitive; we award a limited amount of fellowships on an annual basis. The next application opportunity is for the Fall 2025/Spring 2026 academic year, with the deadline to apply being July 15, 2024, at 11:59 PM in your local timezone. If you have any questions about the application process or our program, please email us at
Eligibility Requirements
You are eligible to apply as a new Scholar if you meet all of the following requirements:
- Alaskan Inuit heritage from the CSP service area (i.e., enrolled as a tribal member, or a direct descendant, of a tribe from the Norton Sound region, Northwest Arctic region, or Arctic Slope region)
- Currently enrolled at an accredited university or college
- Undergraduate requirements:
- full-time or part-time status
- 36 credit hours completed
- minimum cumulative and current GPA of at least 2.5
- Graduate requirements:
- full-time or part-time status
- minimum cumulative and current GPA of at least 3.0
Checklist
- Completed New Application Online Form
- Responses to all Short Answer and Essay questions (see prompts below)
- A copy of current unofficial transcripts from all universities attended
- Class registration for the upcoming semester showing full-time or part-time status.
- One letter of recommendation that specifically addresses your “fit” for the Caleb Scholars Program (View our Letter of Recommendation packet here).
Please submit your completed online form when prompted.
If you are choosing to email the supplemental files, send them to the Caleb Scholars Program Director at if they have not been uploaded directly to the form by the deadline.
Essay Prompts
Please answer all questions below.
View our Essay examples here.
Short Answer Questions (up to 100 words):
- Are you tribally enrolled or a direct descendant of a tribal member from the Caleb Scholars Program service area (Norton Sound, NW Arctic, or Arctic Slope regions of Alaska)? Please specify tribe and enrollment status.
- What is your connection to an Alaskan Arctic Inuit community in the Caleb Scholars Program service area?
Essay Questions (100 – 300 words):
- What does Inuit-led conservation advocacy mean to you, and how will your education and degree program help to support it?
- CSP Fellows have access to supplemental funding, including travel grants, paid internships, and monies to be used for program-related events (e.g. attending and participating in conferences, funding to purchase equipment for classes or research, giving presentations in your home community etc.). What are some ways you would be interested to apply for this funding if you were a Caleb Scholars Fellow?
Expectations of Caleb Scholars
Students selected into the Caleb Scholars Program are passionate and talented. They demonstrate understanding and vision for how their unique interests can make an impact in the various fields contributing to conservation. While in the Program, Scholars are expected to:
- Participate in a mentorship (we provide mentors for you!)
- Engage in extracurricular activities (such as participating in conferences and webinars, attending our Virtual Qargi learning sessions, practicing advocacy, and more)
- Complete our required Positive Community Citizenship Training
- Maintain eligibility as outlined in our Program Policies
Scholars may be supported through additional funding such as paid internships, travel grants, and extracurricular support.
