The Community
Development
Training
Fellowship
organized by
Asian Americans
for Equality (AAFE)
is an
opportunity for
recent
high school
graduates and
college students
interested in
urban planning,
sustainable
development,
public policy,
community
organizing, and
related fields
to gain in-depth
experience with
comprehensive
community
development. The
Fellowship
focuses on
community
development
issues in Asian
American
communities in
New York City,
such as
affordable
housing, small
business
development,
transportation,
civil rights,
policy advocacy,
and
environmental
sustainability.
Fellows learn
about the field
of community
development in a
collaborative
environment that
focuses on
building their
capacity, and
deepening their
knowledge
through
grassroots
participation.
The Fellowship
will consist of
three integral
learning
components:
1. Community
Development
Training
Workshops
2.
Internship
Placement
3. Community
Project
The Fellowship
is unpaid;
however AAFE can
work with
Fellows enrolled
in college to
arrange for
course credit
through their
university.
Learning
Objectives
1. Gain
knowledge
related to
best
practices in
comprehensive
community
development;
2. Learn
about the
intersection
of community
development
strategies
in diverse
Asian
American
communities;
3. Build
skills for
community
engagement,
organizing
and
effective
communication;
4. Lead a
project from
planning and
development
through
implementation.
Training
Workshop Topics
-
Community
Engagement
and
Organizing
-
Public
Policy &
Legislative
Advocacy
-
Zoning &
Land Use
-
Housing
-
Community
Equity &
Wealth-building
-
Transportation
in NYC
-
Local
Economic
Development
-
Environmental
Sustainability
& Health
-
Open Space &
Parks
-
Physical
Planning &
Urban Design
Internship
Placements
Fellows will be
matched with a
community
development
organization
during the
Spring Session
to complete a 14
week internship.
Internships are
a commitment of
15 hours per
week for the
duration of
Spring Session.
Fellows will
implement a
Community
Project in
conjunction with
their placement
organization.
Community
Projects
The Community
Project
component is an
opportunity for
Fellows to apply
the community
development
knowledge they
have gained from
the Training
Workshops and
Internship
Placements
through a
project they
will design,
plan, and
execute by the
end of the
Fellowship.
The Project also
allows Fellows
to investigate
more deeply a
community
development
issue that
interests them
in a
neighborhood
context. With
support and
guidance from
AAFE and the
organizations
where they will
intern, Fellows
will develop the
project
throughout the
Fall Session,
and execute it
during the
Spring Session.
The Project can
involve a range
of community
development
topics, and can
apply a number
of various
strategies.
However every
project will
include a
community
engagement
component and
should be
action-oriented
by design. Some
examples of
potential
projects
include:
-
Assessment
of housing
needs in an
emerging
community
-
Survey of
small
businesses
along a
commercial
corridor
-
Study of
parking or
traffic in a
neighborhood
-
Studying a
policy issue
and its
impact on a
local
community
-
Physical
planning or
design
solutions to
a
neighborhood
problem
Schedule
The Community
Development
Fellowship will
take place over
8 months
(October 2010 -
May 2011) during
Fall and Spring
Sessions.
The Fall
Session will
consist of 8
weekly 3-hour
workshops on
Friday mornings
(10 AM - 1PM).
During the break
between the
December/January
break Fellows
will be assigned
to produce a
proposal for
their Community
Projects, which
will be
implemented in
the Spring.
During the
Spring Session
Fellows will
intern with
local community
development
organizations
for up to 15
hours per week
for 14 weeks.
The specific
weekly schedule
for internship
placements will
be determined by
the partner
organizations
and the Fellow
as arranged by
AAFE. There will
be monthly Group
Sessions
scheduled for
Fellows to come
together,
continue
learning, and
collaborate
during the
Spring Session.
Throughout the
year there will
also be
opportunities to
attend workshops
and panels about
a range of
community
development
issues in New
York City beyond
the planned
Fellowship
workshops.
FALL SESSION:
-
October 15,
2010
Fellowship
Orientation
and Intro to
Community
Development
-
October 22,
2010
Training
Workshop I
-
October 29,
2010
Training
Workshop II
-
November 5,
2010
Training
Workshop III
-
November 12,
2010
Training
Workshop IV
-
November 19,
2010
Training
Workshop V
-
December 3,
2010
Training
Workshop VI
-
December 10,
2010
Community
Project
Planning and
Prep for
Spring
Session
SPRING SESSION:
-
January 24,
2011
Internship
Placements
Begin
-
February 4,
2011 Group
Session
-
March 4,
2011 Group
Session
-
April 1,
2011 Group
Session
-
April 29,
2011
Internship
Placements
Conclude
-
May 6, 2011
Year-end
Presentation
of Community
Projects
(Tentative)
Eligibility &
Application
Process
The Fellowship
is open all
recent high
school graduates
and college
students
in the New
York
metropolitan
area who have an
interest in and
commitment to
community
development.
While prior
experience
working within
an Asian
American
community and
the ability to
speak an Asian
language are
preferred, these
are not required
from applicants.
The Fellowship
requires a
significant time
commitment of up
to 15 hours per
week for the
8-month period.
Interested
applicants
should seriously
consider this
time commitment
before applying.
All interested
applicants need
to submit (1)
the
Application Form
and (2) a Resume
via email to
