Our Odyssey Programs are open to any adult who has been diagnosed with cancer and who is healthy enough to travel (regardless of age, type of tumor, or stage of disease) and anyone who has been deeply impacted by cancer as a caregiver.

The Program Fee for all A Fresh Chapter International Odyssey programs is $4,964.00 USD (though the true cost of the program is much higher). Participants have the option to pay, fundraise, or apply for a scholarship or fellowship to cover the program fee. A Fresh Chapter offers many resources to help you launch a successful fundraiser, and almost all of our participants have been able to meet their fundraising goals. Many of our participants are able to fundraise the entire program fee.  

For participants who need support covering their Program Fee, there  are currently two options. Visit our Scholarships and Fellowships page to learn more.  

• AFC Scholarships are awarded to individuals who demonstrate financial need, who are not able to fundraise the full program fee, and who have created a well-defined impact plan for how they want to pay forward the experience through volunteering at home. through the AFC Scholarship Fund & Melissa Carroll Legacy Fund.
• A Fresh Chapter (AFC)’s 1-year Fellowship Program is open to experienced cancer advocates, as well as those who have leadership potential and an interest in becoming new advocates. A Fellowship opportunity with AFC empowers advocates to participate in a 2-week on-site volunteer experience, develop new leadership skills, and engage with the AFC Team as we expand our programs to serve more patients, survivors, and caregivers around the world.

Long term, A Fresh Chapter plans to move toward a sliding scale of fundraising, where people who have the capacity and networks to raise more funds can help subsidize people who have less ability to raise funds. Please keep in mind that although subsidies and financial assistance are available, they are limited. Those who can commit to a higher amount (through either payment or fundraising) have a higher chance of being selected.

The Odyssey Program Fee includes the full 20+ week program, including our Discover, Integrate and Ignite Series curriculum, the two-week international volunteer experience (including all accommodations, most meals, volunteering, cultural activities, and in-country transportation) as well as the once-in-a-lifetime experience (including transportation, accommodations and meals – when applicable). Additional costs, above the Program Fee, include round trip airfare to/from the destination country and pocket money for optional activities, snacks and shopping.  

We are constantly adding new program dates and locations to our upcoming line up. Since 2013, we have offered programs in India, Peru, South Africa, Costa Rica, and the United States. Click here to explore our programs or sign up via email to be the first to hear about upcoming programs.

Click here to fill out our Application for our upcoming Odyssey program. We only accept applications during select Application Periods, so if we are not currently accepting applications, sign up for our email list or follow us on social media to get the latest news on our program dates and corresponding application periods.  

When you fill out our General Application, you will be able to indicate whether you think you can fundraise or pay the Program Fee or whether you will need funding support. Once your application has been submitted, you will receive the link to our Applicant Hub with more details on applying for a scholarship  or fellowship. 

Volunteer placements vary depending on the program location and are constantly being reevaluated. Through our partnerships with renowned international volunteer organizations like Cross-Cultural Solutions, we work with you to determine a placement that is the best fit for you and your skills and interests. In the past, our volunteers have participated in a variety of placements including:  working with mentally or physically challenged people; assisting at a neighborhood daycare; working at a center for senior citizens; supporting local cancer nonprofits with marketing/fundraising efforts; providing activities in public hospitals; assisting patients in treatment for cancer; and supporting families impacted by cancer.

In addition to time spent volunteering, participants on A Fresh Chapter programs spend time with patients, survivors, and caregivers from local cancer support groups and have the opportunity to create dialogue about cancer beyond borders. You will not only act as a volunteer, but also as a cancer ambassador in communities where cancer is often veiled in shame, secrecy, and stigma.

Whether it’s watching the sunrise over the Taj Mahal, climbing the steps to view the ruins of Machu Picchu, zip-lining past a volcano in the Costa Rican rainforest or standing at the Cape of Good Hope on the most southwesterly tip of the African continent, the feeling of awe evoked by a once-in-a-lifetime experience has the power to act as a re-set in your life. As a participant, this may be the first time in a long time that you’ve felt lucky. Sharing this experience with other people impacted by cancer fosters a strong feeling of gratitude and a lasting connection to your new tribe. For most of our once-in-a-lifetime weekend trips, A Fresh Chapter partners with Canadian travel adventure company, G Adventures.

A Fresh Chapter programs are designed to address the deeper emotional scars of cancer – the emotions around the shared struggles of cancer. Our program does not require you to share your specific story of cancer (e.g. on May 5, 2000, I was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer, etc.). Instead, through volunteering, travel and a variety of activities – such as journaling prompts, individual and group exercises, and opportunities to share pieces of your story – our program will help you to uncover the emotional scars of cancer, start to process and deal with them, and begin to guide you toward a new chapter in your life. While our programs do not follow the typical support model, there are some elements that may be familiar to those who have attended support groups. In addition to our activities in-country, our Odyssey Framework provides an additional 18 weeks of online support, tools, and resources to help you heal and explore life beyond cancer.

A Fresh Chapter programs are not currently set up for patients/survivors and caregivers to travel together. For patients/survivors, it is often a source of empowerment for them to feel like they have done something monumental on their own – especially if they have felt like cancer took away their control/independence. In addition, we want our caregiver participants to be able to experience the program fully and to have a break from the caregiving role and the opportunity to explore some of the emotional challenges of caregiving, which may be hard if the person they are caring for is present.

All A Fresh Chapter programs include at least one, if not more, on-the-ground partners, who understand the locale. In most cases, A Fresh Chapter works with Cross Cultural Solutions (CCS). CCS manages the volunteering component of the program and provide assistance with activities, housing, meals, etc. Each A Fresh Chapter program is also staffed with 2-3 trained AFC facilitators who travel with the group to manage all aspects of the program on the ground. This includes everything from liaising with our partners to confirm airport pick up/drop off, working to make sure dietary restrictions are accommodated, checking in after volunteering to provide necessary support and coaching, facilitating all A Fresh Chapter program activities, and providing 1-1 support to ensure each participant has the most impactful experience possible.

A Fresh Chapter has designed our programs to be accessible at all stages of the cancer journey. During the program, you will need to be able to spend at least four hours per day volunteering and doing an assortment of activities. All participants will need a medical clearance from their doctors prior to participating in the program. In addition, our once-in-a-lifetime experiences involve traveling (via vans, buses, planes etc…) for several hours and may mean being away from a major medical center for multiple days.

AFC partners with an international travel medical company to offer comprehensive travel medical insurance to all participants of our programs. If medical services are required, a representative from A Fresh Chapter will accompany you to see an English-speaking doctor and/or provide translation if required. All selected participants will receive more specific information and details about coverage.

This revolutionary new program will bring together three diverse groups – six Americans impacted by cancer, six Kenyans impacted by cancer, and six employees of our 2019 partner organization, Eli Lilly and Company – for the first immersive, cross-cultural, peer-to-peer advocacy initiative of its kind.

Each of the applicants to this program will be applying for a 1-year Fellowship with A Fresh Chapter. Together, our 18 Fellows will play a leadership role in locally-led cancer awareness and education events, volunteer in Kenyan communities, experience AFC’s innovative psychosocial support model, and participate in the initial discovery and development phase of an AFC Toolkit adapted for Kenya.

The current AFC Program Methodology is designed around four pillars: volunteer, educate, connect, and empower, and embeds a 1-2 week volunteer travel experience into a broader six-month program of support and education. Now, together with Kenyan patients, survivors, caregivers, and health workers, as well as global health consultants, the Fellows of the September 2019 Global Emerging Leaders Program will contribute to AFC’s collaborative effort to customize the AFC Framework for Kenya.

AFC is committed to working with key Kenyan stakeholders to co-design the AFC framework to meet local needs. This program is the first in a broader 5-year initiative which, by 2025, aims to touch a minimum of 10,000 Kenyans impacted by cancer. Together with industry partners like Lilly, AFC will offer multiple Global Emerging Leaders Programs and train-the trainer experiences empowering dozens of Kenyan AFC Ambassadors to roll out the AFC Framework & Toolkit across the country.

All U.S. and Kenyan applicants to the Kenya Leaders Program will be applying for 1-year Fellowship with AFC. The selected Fellows will participate in a 2-week on-site volunteer experience, develop new leadership skills, and engage with the AFC Team as we explore customizing our programming to serve Kenyan patients, survivors, and caregivers. Instead of a Program Fee, each person awarded a fellowship will commit to a variety of activities (see below) over the course of a 1-year period. The 2019 Global Emerging Leaders Program in Kenya has a total of 12 Fellowship Spots: six for U.S. applicants and six for Kenyan applicants.

Skills/Experience Required:

U.S. Fellows:

• A cancer survivor and/or a primary caregiver with a willingness to share your story in both 1-1 and group settings OR a leader with extensive advocacy experience serving a specific patient population
• At least 2 years experience volunteering and/or working within the cancer advocacy space either as an independent advocate or as part of a broader advocacy or health-related organization
• A track record in sharing your patient or primary caregiver story with diverse audiences – both online and in-person OR experience working with multiple patients or survivors to support them in sharing their stories with diverse audiences
• Prior participation in the AFC Odyssey program or a similar program designed to help heal the emotional scars of cancer
• Connection(s) to broader patient communities to gain insights and ideas to help AFC adapt the toolkit for new audience(s)
• An interest in engaging in leadership and storytelling activities during the on-site program and a desire to contribute to AFC’s collaborative effort to customize the AFC Framework for Kenya.

Kenyan Fellows

• A cancer survivor and/or a primary caregiver with a willingness to share your story in both 1-1 and group settings
• Connections to local patient communities and a willingness to gain insights and ideas to help AFC explore how we might adapt the AFC Toolkit for a local context
• An interest in engaging in leadership and storytelling activities during the on-site program and a desire to contribute to AFC’s collaborative effort to customize the AFC Framework for Kenya.

Attributes Required by All Fellows:

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills – both written and verbal
• Resilience – the ability to navigate jet lag and/or a busy schedule for a period of 2 weeks
• Flexible and patient demeanor
• Strategic thinking – the ability to translate your personal cancer experience as well as your AFC experience and think broadly about how to support a wide and diverse audience
• Desire to build cross-cultural relationships
• Emotionally stable and in a position to support others
• U.S. Fellows – Must have a medical professional sign a medical clearance form and be in a stable enough health position to get all required vaccinations/immunizations for travel to Kenya

Resilience is defined as the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties. In the context of this program, we are seeking U.S. applicants who have traveled before and feel confident in their abilities to navigate jet lag and a busy schedule. From an emotional stability perspective, we are looking for applicants who have had an opportunity to process some of their own emotions around the cancer experience and feel ready to provide support to others. Through an interview with an AFC Team Member, you will be able to explore the program requirements in more detail and determine if the Kenya Leaders Program is the right fit for you at this time.

The first Global Emerging Leaders Program will take place in Kenya from September 11-25, 2019. International participants will fly in and out of Nairobi and most of the programming will take place in the city of Eldoret. Eldoret is located in western Kenya and remains the 5th largest urban center in Kenya. Lying south of the Cherangani Hills, the local elevation varies from about 2100 meters at the airport to more than 2700 metes in nearby areas (7000–9000 feet).

For this program, we are collaborating with the Global Security Team at Eli Lilly and Company to ensure we keep the safety and security of all participants as a top priority. You may have heard about a recent tragic event at a Nairobi hotel as well as a travel advisory in Kenya for U.S. residents. The majority of the program will take place in Eldoret – a city in Western Kenya, which is not noted as a target/high risk area. Also, there will likely be at least 2, perhaps 3 nights at a Nairobi hotel for U.S. travelers. We are taking all security concerns into account as we finalize our accommodations. If you have further specific questions about safety and security, please reach out to AFC’s Program Coordinator, Stacy Stec.

If you are selected to participate in this program, you will be awarded a 1-year AFC Fellowship. All AFC Fellows will both engage fully in the program onsite in Kenya from September 11-25, 2019, as well as commit to the following activities:

• Engage fully in the 20-week Odyssey Framework content in order to share insights both before and after the program in Kenya
• Attend bi-monthly design and development calls on the Kenya Toolkit Project for a period of 6-12 months
• Play an active role in the creation of the finalized requirements document and project plan for the full AFC Toolkit for Kenya as well as give insight into the development of a 5-year Global Emerging Leaders Program Plan
• Promote A Fresh Chapter programming to others via social media, blog posts, in-person meetings, etc.
• Write 2 blog posts to be featured on the AFC website
• Mentor future AFC Fellows for subsequent programs
• Have the opportunity to participate in a future training session to become a certified AFC Ambassador and share AFC’s tools and resources with patients and caregivers in local support groups and community-based settings – either in Kenya or the United States.

Time Commitment:

• Onsite in Kenya: September 11 – 25, 2019
• Pre and post program preparation, toolkit design, and mentorship: 5-10 hours/month for a period of 1 year. Although the design calls will likely happen in the morning or mid day in the U.S. in order to accommodate evenings in Kenya, much of the volunteer time will likely be project work that would be completed at a time convenient for each fellow.

Instead of A Program Fee, all participants will be awarded a Fellowship with AFC. In addition, all U.S. Fellows will be required to fundraise or pay for their travel costs to and from Nairobi, Kenya as well as the cost of a tourist visa and any immunizations recommended by their medical team.

AFC partners with an international travel medical company to offer comprehensive travel medical insurance to all participants of our programs. If medical services are required, a representative from A Fresh Chapter will accompany you to see an English-speaking doctor and/or provide translation if required. All selected participants will receive more specific information and details about coverage.

• U.S. Interested Fellows/Applicants: February 15-28, 2019
• Kenyan Interested Fellows/Applicants: April 1-15,2019

Interview Periods:

• U.S. Interested Fellows/Applicants: Mid-March, 2019
• Kenyan Interested Fellows/Applicants: Late June, 2019

All interested fellows/applicants must submit a resume, bio, letter of recommendation and complete the full AFC Fellow Application. Please have your resume, bio, and letter of recommendation saved as PDF files and ready to upload prior to beginning the application process.

Here is a more detailed outline of the process:

• Interested Fellows/Applicants complete and submit a program application
• Interested Fellows/Applicants upload a Letter of Recommendation from an organization he/she is affiliated with or a person who can speak about the applicant’s skills, personality, advocacy experience and/or potential as an advocate/leader, etc. (Your recommendation letter must be added as an attachment to the Fellows Application, so please have it saved as a PDF prior to starting your application)
• All applications will be reviewed and shortlisted by the AFC Alumni Ambassadors Team and AFC staff
• Short-listed interested fellows/applicants will be invited to a video interview via the Zoom platform with Terri Wingham, Founder and CEO of A Fresh Chapter.
• If you have questions about the application process, please contact AFC Program Coordinator, Stacy Stec – stacy@afreshchapter.com.

Yes! This program is designed as an immersive peer-to-peer advocacy experience that fosters long terms connections. Through check-in calls and online tools, we look believe advocates will continue to support each other – both during the 1-year fellowship as well as throughout the broader 5-year vision for the Global Emerging Leaders Program.

As we select the right group of people for this pilot program, we will be looking at a variety of factors including: type of cancer/advocacy area, skills and experience, geographic location, age, communication skills and willingness to commit to a 1-year Fellowship program. We encourage all those interested to apply as we hope this will be the first of many programs in Kenya and those who apply now and are not short-listed will have the opportunity to be considered for a future program.

Visit the Apply Page and click the box “Keep Me Updated” under the Kenya Global Emerging Leaders Program and you will get access to these recordings as well as program announcements and updates.

• Everyone will participate in community-based volunteer activities in Eldoret as well as a variety of reflective and leadership development activities facilitated by AFC
• You need to be comfortable with components of the program being captured on video, photography and blogs (with prior approval).
• Accommodations will be modest, clean, communal, dormitory style rooms – likely with 2-3 people in a room (in separate beds). Boxed water is provided at all times for participants of the program. Food is of the region and staff does their best to accommodate food allergies and special dietary restrictions.
• The climate of the primary location is moderate with lots of walking.
• AFC will be collaborating closely with AMPATH, an organization with long-term North American staff who live and work in Kenya, and the professional working language is English.
• Eldoret is located in western Kenya and remains the 5th largest urban center in Kenya.

To learn more about AFC’s Fellowship Program and to apply for the opportunity to join AFC in Kenya, please visit the AFC Fellows page. All interested fellows/applicants must submit a resume, bio, letter of recommendation and complete the full AFC Fellowship Application.

Click here to donate.  Fresh Chapter Alliance Foundation is federally registered Canadian Non Profit with 501(c)3 status in the United States as a Project of Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs (SEE), a registered public charity.

Checks can be made out to: 
Social & Environmental Entrepreneurs
23532 Calabasas Road, Suite A
Calabasas, CA 91302  USA
Memo Line of the Check – A Fresh Chapter

All US donations of $100 USD or more will receive a tax receipt. To learn more about sponsorship and partnership opportunities, please email us at partner@afreshchapter.com. To learn more about volunteer opportunities, email AFC’s Program Coordinator, Stacy Stec – stacy@afreshchapter.com.

Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs (SEE) is the fiscal sponsor for A Fresh Chapter Alliance Foundation, which is a federally registered Canadian non-profit.   We now are in need of Terri to be here on a full time basis in order to provide her expertise and leadership to ensure that this project can become a fully funded and sustainable entity on its own.

Fiscal sponsorship has evolved as an effective and efficient mode of starting new non-profits, seeding social movements, and delivering public services. Fiscal sponsorship generally entails a non-profit organization (the “fiscal sponsor”) agreeing to provide administrative services and oversight to, and assume some or all of the legal and financial responsibility for, the activities of groups or individuals engaged in work that relates to the fiscal sponsor’s mission. Fiscal sponsors are tax-exempt, charitable ventures that, according to a recent IRS report10 “have the ability to receive charitable contributions for specific projects, the infrastructure to ensure compliance with applicable federal and state laws and adequate internal controls to ensure that the funds will be used for the intended charitable purposes.” Simply stated, fiscal sponsors place responsibility for implementing programs in the hands of project leaders while ensuring appropriate fiduciary oversight. Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs (SEE) was established as a 501(c)(3) organization in 1994 for the purposes of supporting individuals that were inspired to create positive change in their community. The mission of Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs (SEE) is to empower, encourage, and catalyze projects so that we can collaborate and facilitate progressive change in areas of social and environmental justice. SEE incubates projects that will make a cultural impact by creating progressive, social, and environmental change.