Scan Design Fellowship Program
A large group of Scan Design Foundation students and their guide posing on a rocky overlook at Devil's Lake State Park. The group is surrounded by tall pine trees, with the blue lake and forested bluffs visible in the background under a sunny sky.
Industrial pipes and water treatment basins at Jones Island Water Reclamation Facility in Milwaukee. The Hoan Bridge and the downtown city skyline are visible in the background under a blue sky with white clouds.
A Madison Torske Klubben student paddling a yellow kayak on a wide lake under a dramatic, cloudy sky. The far shore is lined with dense green trees, and the water has light ripples.

Program Overview

What you'll experience

Engage with Wisconsin's Sustainability Leaders

Visit farms, forests, nonprofits, research centers, and small towns working toward resilient, just, and sustainable futures.

Three young adults are working together in a grassy field to install or move a large, rectangular solar panel. A woman in a grey sweatshirt and glasses crouches in the center, guiding the panel, while two men—one on the left in a baseball cap and one on the right in a white T-shirt—help lift and stabilize it. Several black mounting bases are visible on the grass around them under a bright, overcast sky.

Learn Through Place-Based Exploration

Experience Wisconsin’s diverse landscapes — from waterways and industrial sites to conservation areas — while understanding how environment, people, and policy intersect.

A group of students wearing blue hard hats and safety glasses stand on an outdoor concrete platform during a tour of the Jones Island Water Reclamation Facility. A tour guide in a blue shirt and white hard hat points toward industrial structures, including tanks and a large white metal frame, under a bright sky with dramatic white clouds. The students are dressed in casual clothing and are listening attentively to the presentation.

Build Community & Connection

Travel, learn, and reflect alongside peers from Danish, Norwegian, and UW-Madison universities. Shared meals, conversations, and outdoor time create space for community and personal growth.

Four young women sit in a circle on a grassy, wooded bank, engaged in conversation. They are framed by large tree trunks and leafy branches, with a bright, shimmering body of water visible in the background. Two of the women are facing the camera and smiling, while the other two are seen from behind. A notebook and phone lie on the ground in the foreground.

Grow as a Leader and Thinker

Develop insights you can bring back to your academic work, organizations, and future career. Learn to see sustainability through social, cultural, economic, and ecological lenses.

A group of students on a tour at Ramboll's Brownfields Revitalization Project in Milwaukee gather around several demonstration plots of green infrastructure. A man gestures toward the installations, which include trays of low-growing sedum and sections of gravel. In the background, a wooden pavilion topped with solar panels stands near lush native plantings under a clear blue sky.

To be considered for the Fall 2026 SDF Wisconsin Sustainability Study Tour, please click the link below to be directed to our interest form. Interest form submissions are due on Sunday, April 12, 2026.

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