01 The Janice D. Steenblik Memorial Fellowship
The Janice D. Steenblik Memorial Fellowship empowers passionate scholars, educators, and innovators who embody the values that Janice cherished throughout her life: a commitment to education, the strengthening of family bonds, and an appreciation for the beauty of our world.
Our Fellowship Vision
We believe in the transformative power of educational opportunity and support. Our fellowship provides targeted assistance to individuals who demonstrate exceptional promise and dedication to their academic or educational pursuits. Whether through financial support, mentorship, collaborative opportunities, or resource access, we strive to remove barriers that stand between committed individuals and their educational goals.
Fellowship Approach
The JDSM Fellowship adapts to the unique needs of each fellow, recognizing that meaningful support takes different forms for different journeys. Our flexible approach allows us to:
Provide financial assistance for educational pursuits
Connect fellows with mentors and professional networks
Offer collaborative opportunities with established institutions
Support innovative educational projects in communities worldwide
Facilitate resource access for research and development
Fellowship Legacy
Our fellows join a distinguished community of individuals who have benefited from and contributed to the JDSM Fellowship legacy. Past fellows have pursued diverse educational paths—from musical scholarship at Yale's Beinecke Library to legal studies culminating in published works, and now to educational infrastructure development in rural Uganda.
The common thread connecting our fellows is their commitment to advancing knowledge, fostering community development, and creating positive change through education—values that Janice D. Steenblik exemplified throughout her life and career as an educator.
Application Process
The Janice D. Steenblik Memorial Fellowship accepts applications on a rolling basis. Potential fellows are invited to submit an initial expression of interest explaining their educational goals, how the fellowship would support their journey, and how their work aligns with our core values of education, family, and world exploration.
We particularly encourage applications from individuals whose educational pursuits will have meaningful impacts on communities and whose personal philosophy reflects Janice's belief that education is not merely the acquisition of knowledge, but the development of character and the capacity to serve others.
Fellowship Impact
Through the JDSM Fellowship, we aim to create ripple effects of positive change. By supporting individual educational journeys, we invest in the future leaders, thinkers, and creators who will go on to touch countless lives. From a scholar studying historical musical notation to an educator building a sustainable learning center in rural Uganda, our fellows embody Janice's vision of education as a catalyst for transformation—of individuals, families, communities, and our world.
In the words of Janice herself, education gives children "the power to prepare for service to their community." Through our fellowship, we extend this belief across borders and disciplines, supporting those who will carry forward the torch of learning, compassion, and service that Janice held high throughout her remarkable life.