Shepherd Program
Shepherd Program
The Shepherd Program for the Interdisciplinary Study of Poverty and Human Capability incorporates a spirit of engagement and service into students’ extra-curricular and academic lives. Shepherd students learn how to understand and address the causes and consequences of poverty and inequality in ways that respect the dignity of every person, through community engagement and academic offerings, including a minor and internship opportunities.
Students weave poverty-related courses across disciplines (economics, education, law, philosophy, politics, sociology, and more) with hands-on service and internship experiences to supplement their major areas of study. Those pursuing a minor in poverty studies undertake capstone research projects that connect their concerns about poverty and inequality with their future civic and professional lives.
For over 25 years, The Shepherd Program has supported student leadership and service opportunities in the local Rockbridge area and beyond. Understanding the causes and consequences of poverty requires direct collaboration with community partners.
Shepherd in the News
Students and graduates of the Shepherd Program are involved all over campus and all over the world.
Rooted in Place
Drawing on a passion for land stewardship, Elisabeth Nicholson ’27 and Riley Mitchelson ’27 pursued environmentally focused summer internships that encouraged them to more deeply consider their relationship with the world around them.
W&L To Host Social Impact Careers Summit and Inaugural Shepherd Affinity Weekend
The Social Impact Summit and Shepherd Affinity event will be held Nov. 6-8.
Cristin Fritz ’10 is the Next Speaker in Campus Kitchen’s Just Food Series
Fritz, an assistant professor of pediatrics at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, will examine the role of food as a social determinant of health.
A Full-Circle Summer
Four rising sophomores spent their summer cooking, gardening, delivering food and grant writing for Campus Kitchen at Washington and Lee.
W&L’s Campus Kitchen Awarded a Grant from the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank
The $45,000 Partner Impact and Innovation Grant will be used to purchase a new walk-in refrigerator and freezer.
Campus Kitchen and the Connolly Center Cook Up New Ideas
A new partnership between the Campus Kitchen and the Connolly Center for Entrepreneurship is giving student food businesses a commercial home on campus.
Making Civic Magic
Shepherd Program students spent their Winter Term imagining how to create healthy spaces for civic discourse in the Rockbridge area.
Annual Souper Bowl Raises Funds for W&L’s Backpack Program
This year’s event raised more than $13,000 to support the Campus Kitchen’s hunger-fighting project.
Marisa Charley Awarded the Spring 2026 Civic Engagement Mini-Grant
Charley will utilize the grant to design pedagogical approaches that strengthen students’ civic engagement and learning.
In The Lead: Linking Community and Career
From a public health Volunteer Venture trip to alumni mentorship, the W&L network opened doors and supported dreams for Liv Ullmann ’25.
Jon Eastwood to Deliver Lecture in Honor of His Appointment to the William P. Ames Jr. Professorship in Sociology
Eastwood’s talk, titled “Reflections on the Sociology of Cynicism and Distrust,” will be held Feb. 19 in Northen Auditorium.