Vision for Ohio Fellowship Program
Overview
We are excited to be launching the Vision for Ohio Fellowship (VOF) in 2019! VOF will be an 18 month long leadership development program for emerging leaders of Ohio, with a focus on developing emerging leaders of color. We are launching this program in order to build a stronger, more committed, connected, and strategically clear progressive movement in Ohio. The program will comprise 6 months of in depth leadership training and political education, followed by 12 months of coaching support to enable each fellow to implement their leadership vision in 2020 and beyond.
What will VOF fellows learn and do?
VOF will connect with a powerful cohort of 15 -20 emerging leaders to:
- Develop a clear understanding of how to form complex collaborations across sectors.
- Understand basic strategy and tactics, and the relationship between different strategic approaches.
- Understand the theory and skill of community organizing, movement building, and inside/outside strategy.
- Build and grow thriving leadership and interpersonal cultures within their organizations and movement spaces.
- How to grow and manage teams.
- Analyze how to combat systemic oppression through their work.
- Discuss the importance of the longview, and build strategies for achieving and maintaining lifelong sustainability as leaders.
Timeline & Commitments
The VOF will meet in Yellow Spring, Ohio for four weekend retreats from June through October 2019 with one reconvening of every fellow in April 2020. After the final retreat, each fellow will receive 12 months of coaching support provided by expert trainers and organizers to support them to integrate their skills and lessons into their leadership vision for 2020.
Fellows will be required to complete a set of readings in between retreats.
Each weekend retreat will start with dinner on Friday nights and end Sunday afternoons.
Each fellow will receive a stipend of $2000.00 to ensure that this program is accessible to every emerging leader in the state.
Retreat dates are as follows:
Retreat 1 June 28th – 30th: Building the Container
In the first retreat, we will build the relational and analytical container for the entirety of the program. Fellows will build deep relationships with each other in order to create a supportive and generative learning environment. We will cover social movement ecology, relational culture, power and oppression, and fellows will leave with a basic understanding of strategy and tactics.
Retreat 2 July 26th – 28th: Structure + Leadership
In the second retreat fellows will learn the theory and skills needed to achieve craft with structure based organizing, and develop transformative leadership skills.
August 23rd – 25th: Momentum + The Progressive Realignment
Our third retreat will cover the theory of Momentum and the skill set needed to build mass popular movement. We will also cover the theory of hegemonic realignment, and discuss how to build a progressive hegemonic coalition.
September 20th – 22nd: Inside/Outside Game and the Longview
In our final retreat of the program we will discuss how to operationalize a strong inside/outside strategy. We will also discuss the importance of the longview, and maintaining health through a lifelong commitment to leadership.
October 26th Commencement ceremony (held in Columbus, Ohio)
Fellows will come to Columbus to discuss how to integrate their lessons into the visions and plans they pursue in 2020 and beyond. Each fellow will present their 2020 vision, and will receive feedback and support from the rest of the cohort.
April 2020 TBA
Who should apply?
- People committed to social justice and progressive change for years to come – as a professional pursuit or in a significant, ongoing community-based or volunteer capacity.
- Folks who with a vision for an Ohio where ALL people thrive.
- People with commitment to building the progressive movement in Ohio.
People who have 1-2 years of professional organizing and/or volunteer experience.
**People of color, and/or LGBT/queer, and/or woman/female/femme-identifying are strongly encouraged to apply.
Questions? Please contact Alwiyah Shariff, Fellowship & Training Manager, at [email protected]. Seriously, if you’re not sure about anything, reach out!
VOF is a program of Ohio Voice (www.ohvoice.org), whose mission is to support and grow the ecosystem of non-profit, non-partisan organizations doing year-round civic engagement with underrepresented communities in order to improve people’s lives.
Feel free to look through the full application. The deadline is April 20th, 2019.
Contact Alwiyah Shariff, Training & Fellowship Manager [email protected] 614.342.0734.