Expeditions

Learning directly from communities around the globe and bringing ideas for a great life home.

Expeditions are our real-life adventures.

The Gambrell Foundation’s Expeditions take us to places where communities have built neighborhoods, gathering spaces, places of worship and beyond to help people thrive.

We travel with purpose to cities worldwide to see firsthand how their history, policies, and practices create communities where most residents experience:

  • Strong sense of purpose
  • Improved mental and physical well-being
  • High quality of life
  • Deep social connections

Our expeditions help us form bonds that often become lifelong connections and partnerships. The people we meet continue to inform and inspire our work long after we return home.
Want to learn how other places help their citizens live greatly? Read more about what we collectively learn during our Expeditions as we search for practical solutions to bring back to Charlotte and beyond.

Expedition Stories

Featured Story
Featured Story
Mirror, mirror – on seeing myself and our system
What if scarcity isn’t inevitable, but designed? A reflection on how Nordic systems reshaped what I believe is possible for people and communities.
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How Helsinki Builds Infrastructure for Care
From schools to city strategy, Helsinki shows how trust, autonomy, and empowerment can form the backbone of care-centered cities.
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Arriving with Assumptionsβ€”and Letting Them Go
Reflections from a Gambrell Expedition on releasing assumptions and learning how societies build care, trust, and resilience.
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Purpose Is Not a Luxury. It’s Key to Democracy’s Survival.
Exploring how Finland and Denmark cultivate awe, trust, and purposeβ€”and what it means for building stronger communities at home.
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Learning to See Differently: A Study in Care and Connection Abroad
I’m heading abroad with the Gambrell Foundation, hoping to learn new ways of seeing. In Finland and Denmark I want to better understand how people create and nurture belonging in everyday life, and what those lessons might mean for us at home. β€œWe are all responsible for bringing each other alive.” β€” Rowan Williams
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    It is through these lessons that we will cultivate not just knowledgeable individuals, but mindful, empathetic, resilient, and inspired leaders.

    Dr. Ingrid Medlock

    Gambrell in Action

    Follow Our Journey

    Causing *good* trouble with @rutgerbregman + @thehloveco 🀭⭐️ #moralambition

    Last stop on the Joyful, Anyway tour. πŸš— Duke University. Kate Bowler in conversation with Anderson Cooper. Our team backstage, trying to play it cool.

    (We did not play it cool.)

    Kate’s work sits right at the heart of what we believe: that joy isn’t something you ...manufacture, it finds you. And it’s essential to living a good life.

    We love cheering you on, @katecbowler. Why? because you simply β€œget” us. Until our next adventure, friend! πŸ’™

    A good life includes access to the ideas, traditions, and wisdom that help you figure out who you are and your purpose in this world. πŸ“–πŸ’‘

    @embassyofthefreemind, one our newest grant partners, has launched a refreshed website β€” and it’s a beautiful new home for exactly that kind of... thinking.

    Pop over to the link in our bio to learn more about the Embassy. πŸ“Έ: @peebsproductions

    Since its inception, the Gambrell Foundation Faculty Fellowship has named 59 faculty Fellows and supported more than 36 research and creative projects across seven @unccharlotte colleges.

    The Fellowship exists because we believe research and community don’t have to live in separate ...worlds. Assistant Professor @kyle_spence’s β€œRoots of Change” project at @deeprootscpsfarm is proof of that. 🌱

    πŸ”— Link in bio to read more and watch the story unfold.

    Since 1925, the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award has gone to people who don’t just talk about service β€” they build their lives around it. πŸ†πŸ‘πŸΌ @queensuniv

    This year, that person is our CEO, @sallygbridgford. We’re so proud of you, Sally! πŸ₯Ή

    An awe walk isn’t just a walk. πŸšΆπŸΎβ€β™€οΈβœ¨

    In a recent episode of @scienceofhappinesspod, Dacher Keltner heads to Harlem and explores how the history and beauty woven into our public spaces can spark connection, perspective, and a deeper sense of who we are.

    Look up. ...Look around. It’s all right there.

    Episode link in bio. 🎧

    Today’s the perfect day for a WOWSABOUT! πŸ¦‹βœ¨

    The Wowsabout special premieres on @pbskids today: Friday, May 1st! We are thrilled to be a part of bringing Roxy, Ronald, and their incredible sense of awe and wonder to life.

    Check airtimes for your local PBS affiliate and let... us know what you think!

    What do Charlotte kids actually love to do? And what gets in the way? πŸ“πŸ€Ήβ€β™‚οΈπŸ§©

    Enter: the City of Hobbies Youth Fellowship

    Know a 10th or 11th-grader in Mecklenburg County ready to show up for their community? Encourage them to apply. Link in bio. πŸ”—

    ...Applications close May 3rd.