Each year, approximately 60 new Wakonse Fellows gather together at Camp Tontozona for our annual Conference in May. Wakonse Fellows must be sponsored by an established Arizona institution of higher education. This institution pays for each Fellow's participation in the annual conference retreat at Camp Tontozona.

The different Arizona universities, colleges, and community colleges may vary in how they select fellows, but we all seek faculty and teaching professionals who:

couple their love for teaching and learning with a profound respect for students and a willingness to make student needs a priority;

seek to inspire academic excellence and stimulate students to become active participants in their own learning;

exhibit a passion for scholarship combined with a desire to infuse lessons taught in the classroom with those learned from one's own scholarly or creative pursuits;

recognize the interdependence between teaching and learning;

are willing to participate in the Camp Tontozona conference.

A Diverse Group

Current members exhibit considerable diversity. Teaching experience ranges from only a few years to well over 30, with many who have earned distinguished teaching awards and/or who have well established careers as researchers and teachers. But it's not a question of how good a teacher you are, rather it is how committed you are to learning from others, improving yourself, and sharing with others.