Fellows live together in intentional community of 4-6 people per household. During Orientation, the community is led through a process of forming a “Community Covenant” of how they intend to live together.
Within the household, the community shares three meals weekly and determines how responsibilities rotate for that and all other community efforts. There’s also a weekly house business meeting, a weekly shared spiritual practice, a monthly hospitality meal, and anything else the group agrees to do. Through this process, fellows hone their communication and collaboration skills. While this sounds like a full schedule, we also make personal time a priority. And there’s plenty of time for fun! In the past, fellows have enjoyed trivia nights, hiking, and the local music scene.
Intentional community living is counter-cultural. It challenges us to be compassionate to ourselves and to others. Fellows often point to intentional community living as the most transformative experience of the year.
About the Durham/Chapel Hill Area
There’s a reason the vibrant Durham and Chapel Hill, North Carolina community is a popular place for young people. As a cluster of college towns with prominent public and private universities – including HBCUs – we know how to welcome newcomers. The area is known for food, art, music, protest and an active outdoor lifestyle. Our fellows recommend the farmers markets, Jordan Lake, museums, breweries, Durham Bulls baseball, comedy clubs, music festivals, and hiking in the amazing state parks, all easily enjoyed on a budget. Our temperate climate means we can be outdoors nearly year-round.
Students from both Durham and Chapel Hill were early leaders in the racial justice sit-in movement of 1960s. One of the South’s first Gay Pride marches was organized over 30 years ago by young people living in these two communities. The first African-American female Episcopal priest and the founders of the country’s first black-owned insurance company were raised in Durham. These roots nourish the community today as progressive Southern cities where all are welcome, and protest marches happen alongside college basketball. Most of the area is served by a free public bus system and there is one car available for shared use. If you want to learn more about living in the south as an LGBTQ+ person, we’re happy to connect you with alums of our program who can share their lived experience.