Fellowship for
Action Program
Are you passionate about the role of food in building a more just and sustainable world?
We want to support you to take your vision and turn it into real action.
Program Overview
The Fellowship for Action is for people who want to create real change in the way we grow, share, and experience food. Over 9 months you will work on your own food-related project, learning tools to design your intervention, navigate challenges and grow as a leader. The program combines personal development with practical action, helping you build clarity, confidence and momentum.
The Fellowship for Action is the right program for you, if you:
Want to understand the bigger picture of how food systems work – and where change is needed.
Are looking to clarify your role and develop a concrete initiative that makes a difference.
Believe that inner growth and relational skills are just as important as practical tools.
Are excited to join an international community where you can learn with and from others across cultures, sectors, and perspectives.
Are ready to engage your local community and take the first steps toward meaningful change.
Our fellowship program welcomes you no matter what your food background and helps you to:
Find a supportive, diverse community to learn and grow with.
Look at the food system in a deeper way to find the most effective levers for change.
Clarify your personal contribution and be guided through a journey to start taking action.
Build the relational and leadership skills needed to collaborate for change.
We are excited to bring together an inspiring cohort of aspiring social entrepreneurs, farmers, chefs, policy makers, creatives, activists, educators, administrators, social workers, development professionals… and many more.
Will you join us?
Content Modules
The program interweaves three modules that build on each other and help your personal learning journey.
Explore what you will learn in each of the modules:
Transform Food Systems
Navigating food as a complex system - the why and where
Understand food as a complex system, build a toolkit to navigate it and explore possible responses.
Understand the role of diverse stakeholders, old and new power relations and narratives for change.
Be inspired by innovative initiatives, networks and changemakers.
Own Your Contribution
Clarify your initiative -
the what, who and how
Deep dive into your subsystem / area of focus and experience new ways of problem framing.
Develop your initiative from soil to seedling through a facilitated process.
Build your custom toolkit to implement your intervention.
Embody Leadership
Experience the value of relational and inner work in create lasting change - the how - in terms of being
Build your personal toolkit to move from overwhelm to empowered and sustainable action.
Experience new and generative ways of relating to yourself, others and the world around you.
Learn practical skills for creating community and facilitating spaces of change.
Program Structure
The Fellowship for Action is a 9-month journey that includes an immersive week in Switzerland to kick off the journey, followed by 8 months of online learning, 1:1 coaching, project work and peer support. The program concludes with a second in-person week in Switzerland to reflect, share and celebrate your progress.
Learning Experience
The program’s approach is experiential, participatory, and rooted in systems thinking. It combines structure with flexibility to support meaningful, self-directed learning. The participants are active co-creators of their personal learning journey.
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Grounded in transformative education and experiential learning.
Inspired by Theory U and awareness based systems change.
Built around content shaped by participants' needs.
Grounded in self-leadership, reflection, inner development and relational work.
Supported by coaching, mentoring, and peer collaboration.
Focused on implementation, practice and learning through doing.
You will be offered a lot of new content and inspiration in the program, but the emphasis will be on applying the theory, framework and tools to yourself and your work to take intentional action.
To design the program we have draw on our many years of experience running education programs in food systems and leadership, weaving in tools from systems thinking, design thinking, awareness based systems change, art of hosting, authentic relating, emergent strategy, participatory leadership, liberating structures, and many more! You can expect a fun, engaging and transformational learning experience with plenty of space to customize according to your needs and context.
Co-Learning in Community
You will be part of a diverse, international group of changemakers who share ideas, challenges, and support throughout the journey. Through regular peer exchanges, group sessions, and in-person intensives, you will build trust and a strong learning network. You will learn from each other’s experiences, celebrate progress, and create space for reflection and growth.
Personal Support
During the program you will also be supported via a 1:1 coaching program with your own personal and leadership development coach from our pool of coaches. Your program of 5 individual sessions will help you craft your own development journey during the program.
On-Site Immersion Week in Switzerland
The fellowship program begins and ends with a unique opportunity - the chance to spend a week together on an organic farm in Switzerland, living, working and learning together. In the first one week intensive, you will meet your fellow participants, design your learning journey, dive into food systems and explore your contribution.
The program is hosted on a biodynamic farm and learning center called Gut Rheinau and includes excursions to meet inspirational food initiatives and changemakers.
The second week intensive will be a chance to showcase your learnings and pack your toolkit for life post program!
Testimonials
Program Details
Timing
The program begins online on October 13th 2025 and ends at the end of August 2026. The first intensive week in Switzerland will take place from 26th October - 2 November 2025. The second intensive week will take place from the 23rd - 29th August 2026.
Costs
The program fee is listed below. Additionally, participants need to cover their own travel costs for the one week intensives in Zurich, Switzerland. If selected, you will be asked to confirm your place by paying a deposit of 250 CHF. A limited number of scholarships are available - please indicate your need for a scholarship, and what you are able to contribute towards the participation fee, in the application form.
EARLY BIRD
*Early bird rate deadline: 9 July 2025 | Standard rate deadline: 31 August 2025
Swiss Applicants - 2'900 CHF International Applicants - 2'400 CHF
STANDARD
Swiss Applicants - 3,400 CHF International Applicants - 2'900 CHF
Requirements
To participate in the program you need to be able to communicate fluently in English, have a reliable internet connection and be able to participate in both one week intensives in Switzerland and in between online.
Eligibility
The Fellowship for Action is open to anyone 21 years of age or older with a demonstrated interest in food-related challenges and creating change. To participate, you should be comfortable communicating in English, documenting your work, and navigating online tools and spaces. Participation is open to all professional and educational backgrounds who are already working. If the program appeals to you but you’re not sure if you meet all the criteria, please don’t hesitate to contact us - we are happy to explore it with you.
Application Process
How to apply
To apply, please fill out the application form (link) and be ready to upload a short statement of motivation (max. 300 words) and your CV or alternatively a complete LinkedIn profile.
Deadline
We accept applications on a rolling basis until the program is filled. We strongly recommend applying early to confirm your place. The deadline for applications to receive the reduced early bird rate is 9 July 2025.
Frequently Asked Questions
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The program will run for 10 months from October 2025 to August 2026 and is divided in three parts: (1) It launches with a one-week intensive in Zürich, Switzerland (DATES) where you meet your fellow participants and the team. (2) This is followed by an online period of 9 months with regular group calls, expert inputs and 1:1 coaching sessions where you remotely develop your project in your local context. (3) The program will be closed with another one-week intensive in Zürich, Switzerland (DATES) to celebrate your learning journeys and present them to a wider audience.
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The program is offered in a combined in person and online format. The two one-week intensives at the beginning and the end of the program are in person in Switzerland, combined with a longer period of 9 months of online training. This will allow you to work in your local context while still interacting and learning from a diverse, global cohort of participants.
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The program includes topics of three interrelated modules: (1) Food systems and food system transformation, (2) Developing your intervention, initiative orproject and (3) leadership development and inner work.
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The program is designed so that you can participate beside your regular work. In general, you can work through the material in approximately 2-3 hours per week. Additionally, you are expected to make space for two one-week intensives in Zürich, Switzerland. In those two weeks you are asked to not have any other commitments outside of the program.
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You will join a supportive group of peers with regular online meetings, 1:1 coaching, and opportunities to learn from each other - helping you stay engaged and motivated. During the two intensive in-person weeks, you will build strong connections that will support you along the way. The program is designed to provide both structure and flexibility to fit around your existing commitments.
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If you are accepted into the program, FoodHaus will provide you with an official letter of invitation and all necessary documentation to support your visa application. While we cannot guarantee visa approval or cover visa costs, we will offer support where we can.
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Accommodation, meals and transportation during the one-week intensives are included in the participation fee. However, you will need to pay for your own travel to and from Zürich, potentially your visa application and you need to factor in any other personal expenses such as insurance, snacks, souvenirs or transport outside the official program.
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A limited number of scholarships are available to cover a portion of the program fee. These will be considered on a case-by-case basis after you submit your application.
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To participate in the program, you will need a stable internet connection, a computer or tablet with a camera and microphone, and access to basic video conferencing tools like Zoom. We will be using shared online platforms (such as Google Drive or Miro) for collaboration, so a modern browser and a quiet place to make calls will help you get the most out of the experience. No special software or advanced technical skills are required - just the basics and a willingness to participate.
Program Facilitators
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Michelle Grant is a facilitator, leadership coach and food systems educator. She is the founder of The Great Full, where she works at the intersection of food systems, leadership development, and transformational change. With a multidisciplinary background in, research, education and practice for sustainable food systems, she now works at the interface of inner and outer change to support a more just, joyful and generative future on our planet.
In her previous role, she was the founding Executive Director of the World Food System Center at ETH Zurich and served on the Swiss National Committee to the UN FAO.
Michelle Grant
The Great Full
Toya Bezzola
Food of Change
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Toya Bezzola is an experienced food systems consultant, founder of Food of Change GmbH, Elfenauhof GmbH and Co-President of Slow Food Switzerland. With a background in international hospitality, research and design, she brings a multidisciplinary lens to food systems projects. Toya has worked at the intersection of gastronomy, education and sustainability - from food tourism to community-based change initiatives.
Katalin Hausel
Collaboratio Helvetica
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Katalin Hausel leads the Catalyst Lab at Collaboratio Helvetica, applying her background in art and education to design transformative learning spaces. With years of experience leading social and organizational change, she supports changemakers through mentoring and facilitation.
Program Contributory
ETH Zurich World Food
System Center
Network Partner
ZhdK Strategic Design Group
Network Partner
Partners
Social Gastronomy Network
Network Partner
Slow Food CH
Network Partner
Gut Rheinau
Hosting Partner
dieCuisine
Hosting Partner
