APPLY TO BE AN
SBS PRACTIONER FELLOW

Looking to build your Story-Based Strategy (SBS) chops and build community with other SBS Practitioners? If so, read on! 2024 SBS Practitioner Fellows get:

Applied Practice


The primary purpose of the Fellowship is to give AT alumni and/or intro training alumni, the time, space, and support to deepen your SBS chops. Over the course of 4-5 months, you’ll get to practice bringing SBS into your work on a new or existing organizing project. We are especially seeking fellows working actively in a community space or local campaign or on a media project that has a clear audience and base to further grassroots campaigns. This year we are seeking two fellows based in California and two based in other parts of the country.

Support


You’ll be along for the ride with the other Fellows as you each develop your projects. You’ll have each other’s support as well as support from a coach, someone in our Network who has their own experience bringing SBS into their work, in training or organizing contexts.

Money


To support you to dedicate time and energy to your organizing, prototyping, and reflection, you’ll be paid $3,000 dollars in two installments.

Theme: LIBERATION GENERATION

The Zoomers (younger adults of this generation) are calling themselves the liberation generation; as they name worldwide oppressive infrastructure and call out colonization in all of its manifestations. They dream in speculative fiction imagining new worlds and stories of possibility in place and space. We are hoping that are 2024 fellows are broadening their concept of liberation particularly in expanding ideas like a just transition, reparations and abolition. We hope our fellows will name oppressive systems and structures in status quo stories and plan interventions to change the narrative and support community wins in policy and organizing.

 

2022-23 Fellows

Curious what a Fellowship project might look like? Check out some of the projects and case studies from the 2022 and 2023 Fellowships.

 

Maya Chuphov

Tools:

Cornerstones

Lessons:

  • Cornerstones can help define the goals and purpose of the project and the audiences that need to be reached

  • When stuck on an important decision, think about it from the perspective of your audience

Jesus Valenzuela

Tools:

Cornerstones, Elements of Story, Battle of the Story, Points of Intervention

Lessons:

  • SBS can help bring clarity when a large diversity of opinions is present

  • SBS can help keep theoretical/academic ideas and movement memes grounded in personal realities

  • SBS can support organizers to position themselves in the story of their work

Kristina Erstine

Tools:

Cornerstones, Story Archetypes, 4th Box, Battle of the Story

Lessons:

  • SBS can be used to reframe ideas around stories regarding work and rest that are ingrained for certain immigrant communities

  • An SBS intervention can support a space to gather and imagine worlds based on care and consideration

 

Ok, so how does the fellowship work?

  1. Fill out the application (see below).

  2. CSS selects Fellows using a rubric rooted in our Anti-Oppression Principles and Theory of Change. New applicants will be prioritized, but repeat applicants are welcome!

  3. In each cohort, Fellows will be supported in their organizing work by their cohort Coach and the other Fellows.

  4. Fellows launch or continue projects in their places and watch how the world changes.

  5. Fellows complete an interview to reflect on their learnings about their project and SBS.

  6. Fellows continue to be awesome.

Key Dates

  • Week of Dec 04-16: Applications open.

  • Applications due January 8th, 2024.

  • Week of Jan 8-12: Fellows announced.

  • Week of Jan 29- Feb 2: Fellowship begins (includes bi-weekly cohort calls). First payment made to Fellows.

  • Feb-June: On-going Fellowship calls.

  • June- July: Begin scheduling reflection interviews about projects. Final payment due to Fellows upon interview completion.

  • Before end of the year: Fellows participate in webinar to present their project work for the AT alumni network.

 

Application

 

QUESTIONS

Please direct all questions to the Senior Manager of Network Engagement and Communications: lenina@storybasedstrategy.org.