# Transformative Educational Opportunities # Offering Transformative Educational Opportunities Community Commitments ![Students at a table with Director Bonnie Talbot discussing the day's programming as part of a Intellectual Vitality-sponsored trip to the United Nations Commission on the Concerns fo Women.](/sites/g/files/omnuum7076/files/styles/hwp_28_10__1920x685/public/2026-01/HCWC-UN_031725_R_1003%20Large.jpeg?itok=UM10VY8T) ## expand\_more We provide transformative educational opportunities through dynamic events, workshops, and campus-wide initiatives that deepen our awareness and understanding of others. ## First-Year Retreat & Experience (FYRE) The First-Year Retreat & Experience (FYRE) aims to provide first-generation, low-income first-year students with the resources and community to feel supported, celebrated, and ready to take ownership of your Harvard experience. In the Fall of 2025, the program welcomed over 140 first-year participants, guided by a dedicated leadership team of two Co-Chairs and 40 Team Leaders - including six members of the Steering Committee. In a post-program survey, attendees reported an increase in confidence level, sense of belonging, and access to agency, academic, social, and navigational capital. [ Learn more about the FYRE program arrow\_circle\_right ](/first-year-retreat-and-experience) ![Group photo of FYRE participants during the closing ceremony.](/sites/g/files/omnuum7076/files/styles/hwp_28_10__1920x685/public/2026-01/FYRE1.JPG?itok=I_JMQsC3) ## Student-Faculty Scholarship Series ![A panel speaker looks directly at their co-presenter as she shares her thoughts through a microphone during a speaker series.](/sites/g/files/omnuum7076/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/2026-01/82%20-%20Roxane%20Gay%20at%20HCWC%20-%20February%2012%2C%202025-%20Dylan%20Goodman%20Photgraphy.jpg?itok=WXyfwmXC) This series, offered in collaboration with the Academic Resource Center (ARC), helps Harvard students make the most of their time at a research university by directly connecting with faculty and their scholarship. Through a series of informal, discussion-based events, students will read selected examples of faculty research and writing, then meet with the authors to discuss their work, writing processes, and the broader questions that motivate their fields. These conversations are designed to demystify academic research, show what it looks like in practice, and help students understand how they might get involved in or be inspired by the intellectual life of the university. ## The Papadopoulous Lecture ![The pride progress flag.](/sites/g/files/omnuum7076/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/2026-01/PrideProgress.jpg?itok=SA2yG6Rb) The annual endowered Papadopoulos Lecture is named for Nicholas Papadopoulos, who received his MA and PhD degrees in engineering from Harvard University. After Nick’s death from complications of AIDS in 1994, his mother created a fund in his name to support lectures about gay and lesbian studies, or of interest to the gay and lesbian communities at Harvard. This lecture has been held at Harvard College since at least 2005. The first record of Papadopoulos lecture lists the BGLTSA —the Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, Transgender and Supporters Alliance, now called the Queer Students Association—as the organizers. The Harvard Foundation is honored to take on this impactful program. ## The Peggy Schmertzler Leadership Seminar ![Dr. Roxanne Gay engaging in conversation with students during a leadership seminar.](/sites/g/files/omnuum7076/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/2026-01/32%20-%20Roxane%20Gay%20at%20HCWC%20-%20February%2012%2C%202025-%20Dylan%20Goodman%20Photgraphy.jpg?itok=IvIjKFrI) The Peggy Schmertzler Fund supports lectures that inspire women to become effective leaders. This fund was established to honor Peggy's contributions as the founding chair of the Committee for the Equality of Women at Harvard (CEWH). Peggy was celebrated for her courage, honesty, empathetic listening, and deep compassion. During her time with CEWH, she was driven by a clear mission, worked collaboratively, generously offered praise, and was adept at aligning the roles and responsibilities of steering committee members with their individual interests and strengths. Lectures held in her honor are designed to engage a wide audience and enrich the Harvard community with valuable insights into leadership. We aim to showcase examples of leaders who cultivate their talents and inspire students to strive for positive change in the world, both during their time at Harvard and as they embark on their post-graduation journeys. ## Leadership and Global Engagement ![Two students interact over an ornately-set table.](/sites/g/files/omnuum7076/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/2026-01/HCWC-UN_031725_R_1014%20Large.jpeg?itok=zqKsoqwD) The Leadership and Global Engagement initiative fosters purposeful leadership and global connection through dialogue, collaboration, and immersive learning experiences. Aligned with Harvard’s commitment to fostering a community where individuals from around the world come together to drive positive change, this initiative creates opportunities for students to bridge academic inquiry with civic responsibility, cross-cultural understanding, and policy engagement, equipping them to address complex local and global challenges. Featured programming includes a [2026 Wintersession Workshop on Global Citizenship and Democracy](/office-culture-community/about-harvard-foundation/transformative-educational-opportunities/wintersession-washington-dc "2026 Wintersession in Washington, D.C. – Global Citizenship and Democracy ") in Washington, D.C.; undergraduate participation in the [United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW)](https://www.unwomen.org/en/how-we-work/commission-on-the-status-of-women); and the Community Ideas Incubator, all offering immersive and innovative opportunities for students to engage with global issues, policymaking, and cross-cultural dialogue. ## The United Nations Commission on the Status of Women ![4 students stand in NYC, with #UNGA.](/sites/g/files/omnuum7076/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/2026-01/HCWC-UN_031725_R_1012.jpg?itok=IsSu2VET) The Harvard Foundation facilitated undergraduate students’ participation in the United Nations [Commission on the Status of Women (CSW)](https://college.harvard.edu/about/news/brief-harvard-students-attend-un-commission-status-women), in March 2026, offering students a rare opportunity to observe international diplomacy, engage with pressing global issues, and broaden their academic and leadership development. Furthermore, this initiative aims to advance intellectual vitality, civic discourse, and global-mindedness by demonstrating how diverse stakeholders coalesce around shared goals. ## 2026 Wintersession in Washington, D.C. – Global Citizenship and Democracy ![Washington Monument at Night.](/sites/g/files/omnuum7076/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/2026-01/Screenshot%202026-01-12%20at%201.52.24%E2%80%AFPM.png?itok=7-_VhJ2M) A [week-long immersive program](https://dso.college.harvard.edu/office-culture-community/about-harvard-foundation/transformative-educational-opportunities/wintersession-washington-dc) exploring the challenges and possibilities of democracy in a transnational world. Through faculty-led seminars, meetings with policymakers, and visits to leading organizations, students examine the evolution of democratic governance and the future of transatlantic relations. Led by faculty from multiple disciplines and supported by Harvard’s Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies (CES), Center for Hellenic Studies (CHS), Committee on Degrees in Social Studies, Department of Government, Harvard College Dean of Students Office, and the Harvard Foundation, the workshop connects academic inquiry with real-world policymaking. ## The Community Ideas Incubator ![Various color icon graphics lined up on a wall right above a white book shelf containing books and games.](/sites/g/files/omnuum7076/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/2026-01/ACE-Website-Text-Google-Docs-01-07-2026_02_44_PM.png?itok=BbEADtub) The[ Community Ideas Incubator](https://dso.college.harvard.edu/office-culture-community/about-harvard-foundation/transformative-educational-opportunities/sdgs-action-lab) is a digital portal inviting students to propose new initiatives for the Harvard Foundation—whether led by our team or developed through collaborative partnerships with students. Projects may include community-building events, research, or policy proposals that advance intercultural understanding, foster transformative learning, and inspire leadership across differences. Submissions are reviewed on a rolling basis and do not commit either the student or the Foundation to implementation.[ Submit your ideas](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSesLBf947gR6KvYeQb60erQQ55Ffd0DpoDZ2Fl-xPzBZ2SjhQ/viewform?usp=header) for consideration.