Designed by Community: Fellowship Application is Now Open!

Designed by Community logo

About the Fellowship:

The Designed by Community Fellowship Program is a paid opportunity for Bronx residents to lead a new project for their neighborhood. This year’s project will focus on Digital Access, the idea that all people should be connected equally with technology and digital resources, especially those who have been historically under-resourced. We are not looking for tech experts — this opportunity will allow the community to lead a project based on what they think the Bronx needs. That could be printing services, a technology club, a space for digital creativity, or something totally different!

We know that communities know their needs best. This Fellowship puts that idea into action.

The Fellowship managed in partnership with Phipps Neighborhoods will run for 5 months from January — May 2023. Fellows will learn Service Design as part of the program, and set their own personal and career goals. The program will end with the launch of a Digital Access project designed by Fellows for their community.

At the end of the Fellowship, Fellows will have:

• Grown their personal networks in the government, design, and non-profit spaces
• Accomplished personalized professional development goals
• Created a portfolio for future job placement
• Designed a Digital Access project to benefit their community
• Learned Service and Community-Centered design methods

Fellowship Responsibilities:

• The Fellowship will run for 5 months from January — May 2023.
• Fellows will have up to ~20 hours work per month throughout the Fellowship, 8 hours of meetings and 4–8 hours of outside work.
• Meetings Breakdown: Months will usually have one 4-hour training, two hour-long work times with Fellowship staff, and a 2-hour reflection meeting. We hope to hold the 4-hour training in-person at a TBD location in the Bronx.
• Outside Work Breakdown: There will also be 4–8 hours per month of outside work for Fellows to do outside of meeting times. We will work to make this number manageable for Fellows.

Below is what a typical month might look like for meetings.

Sample Fellowship schedule

Who We’re Looking For:

This might be a great opportunity for you if you are:

• A Bronx resident or someone with deep community ties to the Bronx.
• 18 and older (we may consider 17-year-olds with a permit to work)
• Interested in learning about and/or teaching others about technology and digital resources.
• Excited to learn new skills and ways of thinking about problem solving.
• Energized by talking with people and sharing stories and ideas.
• Driven to make change in your community.
• Good at listening to the needs of others.
• Proficient in English, bilingual (Spanish/French) preferred.

It may be a plus if:

• You have participated in a Phipps Neighborhood program before.
• You love public speaking or want to improve that skill.
• You like to write and are confident expressing yourself through writing.
• You know about technology, and are comfortable on Zoom, Google Drive, email, smart phones, tablets, and/or computers.
• You like teaching people around you new skills, or explaining how things work with kindness and compassion.

Compensation

This is a paid opportunity. Fellows will get a Living and Learning stipend of $3,500. This money can be used for anything the Fellow chooses, but we suggest things like metrocards, childcare, and internet. Items that would support you during the program.

Fellows will also be provided with technology (laptop, tablets, wifi hotspots) if they don’t already have those tools.

Food will be provided during in-person meetings.

Fellows will also get career support, including professional networking, building portfolios (resume, cover letter, case study), and practicing other skills with Fellowship staff.

How to Apply:

If you’re interested in the Fellowship, you can apply online at: bit.ly/dxcapplication until November 4, 2023. The application should take you around 20 minutes or less to complete. It includes one short prompt to fill out either with a written or recorded video/audio response.

If you don’t have access to a smartphone, tablet, or computer, you can fill out an application at Phipps Neighborhoods offices at the following location and times. Technology will be provided for you to fill out the application:

Location: 1030 E 178th Street, Bronx, NY 10460

Dates/Hours:

• Thursday October 13, 3–5pm
• Wednesday October 19, 9am-12pm
• Monday October 24, 3–5pm

Another option is to go to one of the Bronx public libraries and use their technology resources to fill out the application. Learn more about their hours, location, and resources here: on.nypl.org/3RJoVXu

If these times/locations don’t work for you, please contact Abigail Fisher at designedbycommunity@gmail.com or (718) 724–6810 for alternate options.

Have questions before you submit your application?

We’re holding two information sessions for people who want to learn more before applying:

• In-person information session, October 12 at 1030 E 178th Street, Bronx, NY 10460 from 5–7pm sign up here | Link: https://bit.ly/dxcinfosession
• Virtual information session, October 21 @ 11am, sign up here | Link: https://bit.ly/dxcvirtualinfosession

Recording for the virtual information session can be found here after 9/30: bit.ly/dxcblog

Selection Timeline

Timeline is subject to change, and will be flexible for semi-finalist’s schedules.

Fellow selection timeline

*Semi-finalist work session will be a two-hour, in-person session and participants will be compensated $100 for their time.

Hiring Principles

These principles guide our process as we select Fellows and beyond:

• We will honor and invite diversity. We want to support a group with a wide variety of experiences, including age, experience with technology, and life stories.
• We will advocate for how the community defines its own needs. We are listening and responding to what the community actually says they need, not what we think they need.
• We will dedicate ourselves to access and accessibility. We will provide the tools, resources, and options people need to participate comfortably and confidently.
• We will collaborate deeply with the community across all elements of the program.

Questions?

More detail on the fellowship can be found in our program guide.

Contact Abigail Fisher at designedbycommunity@gmail.com or (718) 724–6810 with any questions you might have regarding the application or application process.