Deadline: 19-Mar-23
The National Black Child Development Institute (NBCDI) is launching The Public Voices Fellowship on Racial Justice in Early Childhood in partnership with The OpEd Project.
The fellowship is designed to bring new and diverse voices into racial justice in early childhood conversations, and increase thought leadership among women and people of color so that their experiences and voices are included in these important conversations and find just and equitable solutions to these challenges.
The year-long fellowship will convene twenty thought leaders on racial justice in early childhood, most of whom will be women and people of color. The fellowship will provide exceptional support, leadership skills, and knowledge to ensure the fellows’ ideas shape their fields and today’s most important and urgent conversations.
The Public Voices Fellowship on Racial Justice in Early Childhood is part of a prestigious national initiative from The OpEd Project to change who writes history. The curriculum explores leadership, knowledge exchange, and empowerment in an unjust world. Fellows will explore building consensus, how ideas spread, when and why minds change, and how ideas can shape the future.
The fellowship includes workshops and one-on-one coaching by leading journalists and editors. All fellows will write a minimum of two opinion (“op-ed”) articles during their fellowship. Attendance at all convenings, continuously and in full, is required, including at the in-person convening on October 13, 2023. Applicants must be available on the convening dates to apply.
What is success?
- They are not interested in providing a service as much as creating an outcome. Their goal is 100% success with proven outcomes. They envision that every participant will write a minimum of two opinion pieces, as well as produce other tangible thought leadership content pieces in influential places (which may include speeches, radio/TV appearances, proposals for new initiatives or businesses, and more) and that these will significantly accelerate their impact as thought leaders helping to shape history. Longer-term, they aim to build a thriving and connected community of Public Voices Fellows on Racial Justice in Early Childhood across cohorts.
Details
- Up to 20 fellows
- Year-long program
- Four convenings:
- One 3-day virtual kickoff convening (May 31-June 2, 2023)
- Two virtual convenings (August 10-11, 2023; January 18-19, 2024)
- One in-person convening in Charlotte, NC, Friday, October 13, 2023.
- Please note: Applicants MUST commit to attending these convenings in FULL.
- Dedicated editors (top journalists) to provide regular, one-on-one support/editing/coaching.
- Access to ongoing mentoring for the fellowship year
- Need-based travel and lodging stipends are available to fellows for the in-person convening in Charlotte, NC, on Friday, October 13, 2023. The workshops will be provided free of charge.
Selection
- They are looking for new voices from communities of color, early childhood educators and providers, academia, and the private sector, including advocates, entrepreneurs, community and business leaders, scientists, writers, and more. They seek thought leaders working at the intersection of racial, social, and educational justice with a demonstrated desire and ability to contribute to the public dialogue on racial justice in early childhood. Areas of focus could include but are not limited to: activism and movement building, clean air and safe water in Black communities, safe and appropriate Internet policies for children, infants, and maternal health, and global policies on racial justice and food justice.
- Fellows will be chosen through a competitive selection process. They are committed to building a diverse cohort and will consider various factors, including but not limited to gender, race/ethnicity, age, geography, area of expertise, work history, and experience as an agent of change. The fellowship is open to people at least 18 years old residing in the United States.
For more information, visit NBCDI.
