The gentrification of the Mission District brought a "gang list" that affected young people in a 60-block radius, limiting their freedom of movement and association. Vicente Garcia used his 2007 Young People For fellowship to organize the community to stop the gang list.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the fellowship program?
- What are the requirements for fellows?
- What is the Summit?
- What is a Blueprint?
- What kinds of students should apply for the fellowship?
- What issues does Young People For focus on?
- How do I apply?
- I’m a {freshman/senior}; should I apply for the fellowship program?
- How much funding does YP4 provide for the Blueprint?
- Does it cost anything to be a fellow?
- I’m not sure I can attend the National Summit. What do I do?
- Where does YP4 get its funding from?
- I’m a graduate student, am I eligible?
What is the fellowship program?
The first-year fellowship program provides an opportunity for college students to develop leadership skills while creating meaningful social change. The yearlong program provides each fellow with:
- Personalized leadership development
- Customized social justice, power analysis and organizing training
- Strategic and tactical training
- Network- and community-building opportunities
- Funding to implement a self-designed Blueprint for Social Justice
- Professional development support and mentorship
The fellowship is your chance to join a vibrant network of young progressive leaders! We’ll select 150 to 165 students from across the country for the 2009 fellowship program.
What are the requirements for fellows?
The fellowship kicks off with a five-day Summit in Washington, D.C., where fellows learn from skilled organizers, movement leaders and each other.
All fellows must attend the Summit.
After the Summit, fellows return to their campuses. Each fellow works with a YP4 staff person over the course of the year to identify and access the funding, resources, networks and technical assistance necessary to ensure that their work is sustainable, strategic, and supported.
The YP4 National Summit is the start of the YP4 fellowship. All of the new fellows come together for five days of essential trainings, workshops, strategizing and networking on how to be more effective on campus and in our community promoting social justice issues and progressive values.
At the Summit, fellows meet other young progressive leaders from all over the country and learn powerful strategies and tactics for creating sustainable social change.
This year, the Summit will open in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, February 12 and adjourn on Monday, February 16. Fellows are required to attend the full Summit. YP4 covers fellows’ travel, meals and accommodations.
At the Summit, all fellows learn the key tools for developing a Blueprint proposal.
The Blueprint for Social Justice is a fellow-designed, step-by-step individual or collaborative plan of action.
The Blueprint provides the opportunity to create meaningful progressive social change that directly impacts your campus or community and helps to build progressive power on the local, state nationwide or even international level.
The Blueprint provides the framework for strategic, sustainable and community-driven change. At the Summit, all fellows learn the key tools for developing a Blueprint proposal that includes vision, goals and deliverables. After the Summit, fellows continue to work one-on-one with YP4 staff to develop their proposal. Some of the projects we support include Blueprints designed to:
- Launch progressive blogs and publications
- Conduct research and make policy recommendations (at the university, local, state or nationwide level)
- Organize the student body or a community around an important issue
- Create new alliances, coalitions and networks on campus
- Support a fellow’s individual leadership development through trainings, conferences and more
- Support an internship placement at a local progressive organization
If you’re unsure how you want to work with YP4, you can create your own kind of Blueprint.
Fellows work with us to design a Blueprint approach that aligns with their goals and vision for social change.
What kinds of students should apply for the fellowship?
YP4 works with a multitude of students across the country. They come from all different backgrounds and experiences; what they all have in common is that they want to make change on their campuses or in their communities starting today. YP4’s support is customized to each individual fellow. In direct consultation with YP4 staff, fellows identify the type of resources, funding, networks, skills and technical assistance necessary to achieve their goals.
What issues does Young People For focus on?
We don’t tell fellows what to think, what issues to work on or what candidates to support. Instead, we identify young progressive leaders and empower them with the tools to realize their own visions of creating lasting progressive change. In other words, we focus on supporting fellows in their work, whatever form that might take.
Go to www.youngpeoplefor.org/apply.
I’m a {freshman/senior}; should I apply for the fellowship program?
All college students are eligible to apply.
How much funding does YP4 provide for the Blueprint?
The level of funding varies by fellow and by Blueprint proposal. In 2008, our funding per Blueprint ranged from $500 to $2,000.
Does it cost anything to be a fellow?
Nope; the fellowship is free.
I’m not sure I can attend the National Summit. What do I do?
See what you can do to make room in your schedule. If selected, you must be able to confirm your attendance of the National Summit.
Where does YP4 get its funding from?
We raise 100 percent of our costs. To do so, we look to national foundations, family foundations, and individual donors large and small.
I’m a graduate student, am I eligible?
The fellowship program is for undergraduate students only, but we’d love to connect with you about other opportunities available through YP4 and our partners. Please contact us.