Get Involved

Apply to our Introductory Fellowship

How can we use the world’s resources to best help others? How can we tackle some of the world’s most pressing problems, including ending global poverty and factory farming, mitigating technological risks, preventing future pandemics, and stopping climate change? How do we find impactful and fulfilling careers?

Every semester, we select a new group of Williams students to join us for an 8-week fellowship that engages with these questions and explores the core concepts and ideas within the Effective Altruism community. The fellowship is rated highly by past fellows as a valuable and eye-opening experience.

We will be running a new cohort of the Intro Fellowship for the Fall 2024 semester. We value diversity of perspective in our community, so you are encouraged to apply regardless of your race, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, intended field(s) of study, etc.

Applications are now open; due 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time, 9/21/2024.

About the Fellowship

The Intro Fellowship is an 8 week program that consists of weekly readings and discussions of curated EA material with other fellows under the guidance of an experienced facilitator, with optional subsidized dinners and social events. The minimum time commitment per week is 2-2.5 hours, with 1-1.5 hour of readings per week and 1 hour of discussion.

Here is a list that contains a brief overview of the topics covered in the course of the 8 weeks.

Why should you apply?

• You’ll learn the core concepts of EA through a curriculum that student groups and experts at Stanford and Oxford curated while discussing these ideas with altruistically motivated peers.

• We’ll have philosophical debates about questions like “What even matters, anyway? ” and “What things are intrinsically valuable (worth preserving)? ” We don’t stop there, though. The entirety of the Effective Altruism community is devoted to actually putting ideas into practice.

• You’ll have fun!  There will be optional social events and free dinners to mingle with the Williams EA community.

After the Fellowship

By the end of the semester, fellows have access to in-depth coaching, career connections, and unique opportunities to help others as part of a happy and meaningful life. Fellows can continue being involved by joining a reading group or the in-depth fellowship, or become a part of our board.

However, perhaps the most valuable part of our fellowship is the deep personal connections you’ll make to peers who are also interested in doing good.