We exist to grow a squad of cheese professionals who teach — by making, observing, asking questions, and gaining lived experience inside real production. This is fully aligned with the core Daphne Zepos values:

RESEARCH. EDUCATE. CHEESE.

Born in 2021 by the Cheeseletes, “Back in the Vat (BITV)” is now carried forward through the DZTE. BITV by DZTE is an experiential learning award that places cheese professionals inside working production aging environments at leading artisan cheese makers. It is meant to fuel hands-on craft learning — in the make, in the cellar, and in the community.

Click here to read Daphne’s Vision.

Yes. The Daphne Zepos Teaching Award (DZTA), our larger $7,500 annual scholarship, and the Daphne Zepos Research Award, our $3000 award, are given to food industry professionals to further their learning —and their ability to educate others—about cheese, specifically through traveling. The Teaching Award application season runs after the Research Award application season, in case applicants would like to rework their application.

No specific formal training is required. Cheesemongers, affineurs, chefs, sales professionals, and those on the production/education track who want hands-on experience and are fluent in English. Applicants must:

● be 21+ years old

● have 1+ years of practical work experience in the cheese industry

● For the Uplands Experience, applicants must be eligible to work in the United States

● For the Uplands Experience, you must have a driver's license

No specific formal training is required.

Applicants can be from anywhere in the world as long as they prove that the experience has an impact on their home cheese industry. The board will not disburse extra funds that go above the value of the grant for far-flung travel.

The award value will vary by experience. We will offer one $3,500 grant to Uplands Cheese and one $1,000 grant to Jasper Hill Cheese Camp annually.

The board of directors of the Daphne Zepos Teaching Endowment. The board is made up of a diverse group of individuals from various areas of the cheese industry including production, affinage, distribution, sales, marketing, and education. They represent different levels of experience and backgrounds in the hopes of providing an audience our applicants can relate to.

The Board of Directors seeks a compelling essay from someone who wants to make a lasting educational impact in their home cheese world. They’re looking for someone who can make the most of the funds with a hunger for hands-on learning. Most importantly, the board aims to pick a candidate who will join the squad of DZTE cheese professionals as an aspiring industry teacher and leader for years to come.

The recipient must explain how the experience will impact their professional career and their home cheese community. They will be required to conduct a staff training within three months of the close of the experience at their workplace. They will liaise with our Marketing Director for collaborative social media posts and newsletter features highlighting key takeaways. Other opportunities to share your experience through different mediums can be discussed based on the recipient’s availability and desires.

All expenditures should be related to the costs of traveling to the experience, room and lodging during the experience, or covering expenses while away from home and work. The recipient is totally responsible for managing their funds. Each recipient is asked to submit a budget proposal in writing to the Board of Directors by March 1st after receiving the award.