Who is this fellowship for?

The WA Early Childhood Fellowship Program is focused on increasing the representation and power of people of color, particularly people from Black, Indigenous, Latinx and Pacific Islander communities in early childhood policy spaces. We recognize that within communities of color there are differing levels of privilege. We seek to prioritize fellows from communities most impacted by systemic oppression who lack sufficient representation in policy decision-making in Washington state.

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How do you define "Early Childhood?"

We have a broad definition of early childhood that encompasses family well-being, social/emotional health, cognitive development, physical health, mental health, attachment, child care, education, and enrichment for all children pre-natal to age five.

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What does "mid-career" mean?

At this stage, we are tentatively defining "mid-career" as individuals for whom at least two of the following statements are true:

• Five or more years of professional experience in early childhood work, policy work, healthcare, social services, community organizing, or a related field.

• Direct experience in a leadership role with a coalition or advocacy organization.

• At least one year of experience managing a program, project, or team (including your own center or business).

• Hold a bachelor's or master's degree in education, early childhood, public policy, social work, public health, or a related degree.

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Is there an education requirement to be a fellow?

No. While a degree or other type of formal education may be a valuable asset for fellows, we also recognize that expertise is gained in a variety of settings and life experiences.

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What if I don't live in Washington state?

That's fine. The fellowship is open to anyone, but the curriculum and scope will be specific to Washington state early childhood policy issues; as such, fellows would be expected to reside in Washington state and intend to work in Washington once they have completed their fellowship.

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What kind of roles do you envision as "policy" roles within early childhood?

We are specifically focused on public policy and define that as working on laws, rules, and budgets adopted by government entities. Policy specific roles could include policy and fiscal analysis, policy development, coalition work focused on policy and advocacy, leading strategy for community organizing and mobilization, media and communications focused on policy and advocacy, policy research, staff support to policymakers, policymaking, and philanthropic support of organizations working in policy. The fellowship is specifically interested in the coordination of these roles across the public, nonprofit, and philanthropic sectors.

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Are undocumented individuals eligible for the fellowship?

It is our hope and intention to make this fellowship available to individuals who are undocumented. We are not yet able to fully answer this question as we don't yet know where the fellowship will be "housed", or if there are administrative or financial barriers we will have to address.

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When will the fellowship start?

We are hopeful that we can begin with an initial cohort in the fall of 2021. We also recognize that the COVID-19 pandemic changes everything...and we will remain flexible.

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How many fellows will be in each cohort?

Great question.  We're not sure yet, though we're actively connecting with potential fellows and alumni of other programs to figure out the answer to this.

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Where will fellows be placed?

We are still early in our design process and have not yet determined where fellows will be placed.  Our hope is to place fellows across Washington state, primarily in nonprofit advocacy organizations.

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Where will the fellowship be housed?

Still working on this too.  We'll keep you updated!

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