Leadership and Learning in Action

Each summer, Bezos Scholars gather in Aspen, Colorado, for a week of learning, reflection, and community. In this collective piece, six Scholars and Educators share vivid moments from the 2025 Aspen Ideas Festival—meeting inspiring thinkers, confronting big questions, and discovering new meaning in courage and belonging. Their reflections capture what makes the Bezos Scholars Program extraordinary: the mix of awe, dialogue, and shared purpose that turns inspiration into action.

What started in 2011 as a Bezos Scholars Community Change Project to expand music access in Roanoke, Virginia, has evolved into a beloved annual festival. Founded by student Scholar Locher Grove and educator Nicole Doherty, Noteworthy continues to raise funds for elementary school music programs while empowering new generations of student leaders. Led today by Mary Clarke and Blair Moon, the 2025 team surpassed their fundraising goal, strengthening community bonds and reminding audiences that creativity and compassion can strike the most resonant chord—one that continues to echo year after year.