Praxis Fellowship

 

The Praxis Fellowship supports undergraduate students interested in social change, activism, and organizing by developing their analytical and practical skills as social change leaders and community advocates. The program provides experience working with grassroots organizations, develops and supports community among students engaged in social justice work, cultivates authentic relationships between students and community partners, and creates pathways for students to continue working with community organizations and engage in social justice work beyond Stanford. Students will learn from experienced organizers and community leaders, participate in skill-building workshops, study movement histories, and engage directly in movement-building work.

Fellowship Expectations

Fellows receive a stipend of $7,500 for the 10 weeks of work over the summer; they are responsible for their own transportation and housing costs. Students receiving financial aid may be eligible for an additional stipend of up to $1,500.

In Winter 2023, select applicants are matched with a project and commit to the fellowship program by signing a student contract. 

In Spring 2024, fellows enroll in CSRE 199: Community-Based Fellowship Practicum. This course will prepare students to conduct summer research with a community partner and faculty Principal Investigator. Fellows meet with their community partner liaison at least three times over the course of Spring Quarter to develop the parameters of the summer research project and identify skills and background knowledge to hone in advance of the summer.

In the Summer 2024, fellows work full-time (at least 35 hours/week for ten weeks) on their project. Fellows keep in touch with their cohort and CCSRE program directors via biweekly check-in meetings and reflection papers. Working with the project’s community partners, students design and implement a strategy to disseminate research findings. At the conclusion of the fellowship, they submit an 8-10 page paper summarizing their work and reflecting on their experience which is archived with the Stanford Digital Repository.

In Autumn 2024, students share their research with peers, faculty, community partners at the Stanford Engaged Scholarship Symposium.

Check back here for the application process in December 2023. Applications are due February 6, 2024.

Past Community Partner Placements

 

Chinese Progressive Association, SF

Founded in 1972, the Chinese Progressive Association (CPA) educates, organizes and empowers working class Chinese immigrant communities in San Francisco. We build collective power alongside other oppressed communities for the sake of demanding and achieving better living and working conditions for all people. Our current work includes organizing with high school students in SFUSD, working families living in SROs, and immigrant voters across SF. 

CPA is looking for motivated individuals who can support CPA’s ever-evolving base building work and support advancing CPA’s labor and student rights campaigns. Working-proficient Cantonese and/or Mandarin language skills are preferred for candidates interested in our Tenant Worker Center work. Previous volunteer experience working with youth is preferred for candidates interested in our Youth Organizing work. Potential project teams include the following:

  • Movement Building: A CCSRE Fellow placed with CPA is also asked to participate in Seeding Change’s National Fellowship for Asian American Organizing & Civic Engagement. Seeding Change’s key strategies include 1) building a national pipeline for the next generation of Asian American organizers, 2) creating an infrastructure for Asian American grassroots organizing, and 3) experimenting with building power and scale for our movements toward a vibrant social and economic justice movement. Additional details regarding this will be shared during the host site interview process.
  • Youth Movement of Justice & Organizing (MOJO): CPA organizes with primarily (but not exclusively) Chinese American high school students in SF United School District to create safe and equitable schools for all students in SF. MOJO develops high school student leaders through political education workshops, organizing skills training, and opportunities to put into practice what they learn through projects and ongoing campaign work.
  • Tenant Worker Center: CPA organizes with working Chinese immigrant families to improve living and working conditions for all of SF. With grassroots leadership, CPA conducts regular worker rights outreach, supports exploited workers to file wage claims and organize workplace campaigns, mobilizes families living in SROs to advocate for city resources towards safe and affordable housing, and builds the power of working Chinese immigrant families in SF through membership base building.

El Centro Legal de la Raza Youth Law Clinic

Founded in 1969, Centro Legal de la Raza is a legal services agency protecting and advancing the rights of low-income, immigrant, Black, and Latinx communities through bilingual legal representation, education, and advocacy. By combining quality legal service with know-your-rights education and youth development, Centro Legal de la Raza ensures access to justice for thousands of individuals throughout Northern and Central California. Centro Legal’s multifaceted approach to legal advocacy on behalf of the most vulnerable amongst us is purposefully designed to ensure access to justice. To this end, we pride ourselves in the three key components of our work: creating leadership, empowerment, and equity in our work. We focus on leadership by providing guidance and mentorship to the next generation of attorneys and judges of color through our Youth Law Academy and Diversity Legal Pipeline programs. The Youth Law Academy is a three year program for Oakland high school students designed to build confidence and understanding of the path to college. Recognizing the need for more diversity in the legal profession we ultimately hope to inspire our students to seek a career in the law for the betterment of our community. 

Potential Projects:

The Youth Law Academy (YLA) fellows will collaborate with the YLA team and provide administrative support for the YLA program, primarily in the areas of student data tracking, financial aid education, teaching of curriculum, coordination of activities, and mentorship. As part of this work, fellows will support coordinating and executing summer programming for high school students, assist with the planning and coordination of various events such as YLA Retreat, SAT Test Prep course, mentor mixers, courthouse visits, law office visits, and professional development series. In addition, fellows will work with our team to update and develop curriculum, and assist with program strategy & design; engaging all high school students with one-on-one advising sessions that include creating a culturally sensitive approach. 

Stop AAPI Hate (Asian American Research Initiative)

In response to the alarming escalation in xenophobia and bigotry resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, the AAPI Equity Alliance (AAPI Equity), Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA), and the Asian American Studies Department of San Francisco State University launched the Stop AAPI Hate coalition on March 19, 2020. The coalition tracks and responds to incidents of hate, violence, harassment, discrimination, shunning, and child bullying against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States. Our approach recognizes that in order to effectively address anti-Asian racism we must work to end all forms of structural racism leveled at Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color.

POTENTIAL PROJECTS:

Fellows will collaborate with the Stop AAPI Hate team on researching and writing reports that promote Asian American Studies/Ethnic Studies (AAS/ES) in K-12 schools.  As part of this work, fellows will participate in leading youth campaigns and working with high school students to organize around AAS/ES.  Lastly, fellows will engage in quantitative and qualitative data analysis and report-writing on Stop AAPI Hate data. Fellows work with a team of interns who meet weekly to discuss SAH’s overall efforts, their role in these initiatives, and questions they may have. Language skills in Chinese (simplified and traditional), Korean, Vietnamese, and/or Hmong are highly encouraged.

San Francisco Rising

San Francisco Rising builds the political power of working-class communities and communities of color in San Francisco to lead the way for a government that centers racial, economic, environmental, and education justice. We are an alliance of grassroots organizations led by people of color, and a political home for San Franciscans who care about justice and sustainability. We build power through deepening multiracial solidarity, educating and mobilizing voters, working closely with policy makers, organizing, and developing leaders of color.

Given our political context, as well as the crises facing our planet and our economy, young people need to be front and center of any movement that is forging our path forward for future generations. Students and young people are already taking leadership across the country, and San Francisco Rising is part of this movement. We cultivate the leadership of young people of color to organize, shape, and determine California’s future.

Through this Summer Fellowship, we will be focused on transformative civic engagement, building a political analysis on how predator debt is and what it would take to make college free in the state of California. Through a 6–8-week program, we will meet 4-5 days each week with different skill / organizing leadership workshops, political education sessions featuring local organizations, daily phone banking or door-knocking to connect to our communities, community building with students of color, and writing an op-ed about education justice. Additionally, we will be organizing a mass action or community event to uplift our campaigns, stories, and the truth of students.

Additional blog for students more curious about an update on our campaign: https://www.sfrising.org/the-student-loan-system-was-never-meant-to-work-for-us 

We welcome all students who are open to learning about organizing, building student power, and seeking to build community within the Bay Area.

Somos Familia

Somos Familia was founded by two friends from the East Bay (San Francisco Bay Area) with LGBTQ+ Latinx children in 2007 to reach out to other families. Somos Familia's mission is to build leadership in our Latinx families and communities to create a culture where people of diverse genders and sexual orientations can thrive.

Students will have the opportunity to develop and implement resources for the community, including an education workshop series and support Somos Familia film/video projects, in collaboration with Somos staff and volunteers. We extend a welcome to energetic, self-motivated, and deadline-driven individuals who are open to sharing their strengths, learning new things, and building their skills in a team environment.  Excellent writing and interpersonal communication skills, and an interest in public speaking and training are a plus. Interest or personal connection to the mission of Somos Familia is desirable, but not mandatory.  Bilingual skills in Spanish and English are preferred, but not required.

As a part of our communications, community education, and community engagement teams, students will:  

  • Attend and assist in coordination of Somos Familia education activities, including training of trainers and community workshops
  • Assist with outreach efforts, including phone banking, social media, and email
  • Assist in the development of content and logistics coordination for community support groups, workshops and trainings

Queer Women of Color Media Arts Project

Stay tuned for details.

The Transgender District

As the first legally recognized transgender district in the world, the Transgender District creates a thriving urban environment that fosters the rich history, culture, legacy, and empowerment of Transgender people and its deep roots in the southeastern Tenderloin neighborhood. We are committed to leading community-informed efforts to stabilize and economically empower Transgender and GNC folks through ownership of homes, businesses, historical and cultural sites, and safe community spaces. Within our founding are core values of creating an effort that facilitates the healing, economic empowerment, and cultural enrichment of transgender people in the Tenderloin district - who have and are plagued by social and structural violence, marginalization, disenfranchisement and abject poverty - and yet maintain a fiery resistance and unfaltering resilience. 

As a social justice fellow for the Transgender District, students will:

  • Support Associates with administrative duties, programming, events planning, and other miscellaneous tasks as needed
  • Support Program Associates with ongoing efforts for the 2023 Entrepreneurship Accelerator Program
  • Assist with administrative duties in preparation for Transgender History Month and our annual Riot Party
  • Support community outreach efforts and expand community engagement for Name and Gender Marker Change clinics

Students should: 

  • Have interpersonal skills to engage with community members. 
  • Be passionate about the Transgender District's mission and bring an optimistic, can-do attitude to the team

Filipino Advocates for Justice

FAJ was founded in 1973 by established grassroots community leaders and students/young people in response to the growing numbers of Filipinos settling in Alameda County. Filipinos are the second largest Asian population in Alameda County at approximately 125,000+ (4% of the county), the majority of whom live in Central and South Alameda County in cities like Hayward, San Leandro, Union City, Fremont and San Lorenzo.

We have offices in Oakland and Union City, a staff of 20+ (including 7 Tagalog speakers) and a 9-member board of directors. Our mission is to build a strong and empowered Filipino community by organizing constituents, developing leaders, providing services, and advocating for policies that promote social and economic justice and equity.

Fellows will be participating in our 6-8 week long Summer Leadership Development Program alongside our TAY (Transitional Age Youth) component and Youth Component. Some possible projects that may come up for fellows alongside our Summer program are leading youth workshops, participating in various organizing campaigns, community outreach, and creating social media content.

It is preferred if potential fellows are familiar with the mission and values of Filipino Advocates for Justice or have a personal connection to the organization but not required. Bilingual skills in Tagalog (and/or other Filipino dialects) and English are beneficial but not mandatory.

 

Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts

Stay tuned for details.

 

 

Transgender Gender-Variant & Intersex Justice Project (TGIJP)

TGI Justice Project is a group of transgender, gender variant and intersex people – inside and outside of prisons, jails and detention centers – creating a united family in the struggle for survival and freedom. We work in collaboration with others to forge a culture of resistance and resilience to strengthen us for the fight against human rights abuses, imprisonment, police violence, racism, poverty, and societal pressures. We seek to create a world rooted in self-determination, freedom of expression, and gender justice. Our primary focus are low-income transgender women of color - folks who are in prison, formerly incarcerated and/or targeted by the police. 

TGIJP works alongside currently and formerly incarcerated transgender, gender-variant, and intersex (TGI) people, advocating for them during incarceration and through the re-entry process. TGIJP’s legal team works to build relationships with people inside of prisons and jails, provides direct advocacy against abuses experienced inside carceral institutions and through re-entry

The fellow may assist with:

  • Responding to mail: the summer fellow would review and respond to incarcerated members writing via non-legal mail.
  • Internal Directory: at TGIJP we receive many requests for support from incarcerated and free members outside the scope of what we are able to provide, and regularly make referrals to organizations across the state and country. Unfortunately, not all organizations are TGI competent. The summer fellow would work with TGIJP’s Legal Department to update contact information for organizations we currently refer to, and identify new organizations that could support our community. Aspects of this project:
    • Outreach to potential community providers.
    • Connecting with community members and established partners to understand the lay of the land.
    • Interviews with TGIJP’s members: The summer fellow could connect with TGIJP’s members on the inside and outside to get personal feedback on the organizations, as organizations may falsely claim to be TGI competent
  • Resource accessibility: at TGI JP we receive requests for legal resources from incarcerated members filing representing themselves. We are developing jurisdiction specific resources that contain the law and template court documents. The summer fellow would work with TGI JP staff to identify what makes this information accessible to TGI members. Aspects of this project:
    • Develop a questionnaire for feedback from TGI JP members.
    • Conduct interviews with TGI JP members.
    • Draft a report of findings.

Recommended skills/background:

  • Excellent research skills
  • TGI cultural competency 
  • A stellar racial justice lens 
  • An understanding of and commitment to abolition 
  • Experience and/or passion for working in Black led organizations 
  • Experience with Excel

 

 

Eligibility

  • Availability: This is a full-time summer research/internship opportunity for Summer Quarter 2023. You will also be required to take a spring quarter course, and to present at a fall quarter research symposium. 
  • Time Commitment: Full-time is defined as 35+ hours per week in 10 consecutive weeks, i.e., it is the student's primary activity that quarter.
  • Students must be enrolled as an undergraduate in Summer 2023; they must also be enrolled in Spring 2023 and Autumn 2023, the quarters immediately preceding and following the fellowship quarter.
  • Outside Commitments and Concurrent Course Enrollment: 
  • Students may not receive both academic units and a stipend for any single project activity.
  • Funds may not be used to directly support honors thesis research. Honors students should seek funding through UAR’s Student Grants Program.
  • Funds may only support current Stanford undergraduates. Co-terminal MS or MA students may be supported only if their undergraduate degree is not conferred before the conclusion of the project.
  • Students are permitted to enroll in up to five units of coursework during the Flex Term in which they are engaging in a full-time project.
  • Full-time recipients are permitted to work at an additional internship, job, or volunteer position for no more than 10 hours per week. If a student is enrolling in coursework, then the student is not permitted to engage in any additional internship/work/volunteer opportunities.
  • Students who receive a full-time grant cannot enroll in five units and work 10 hours per week during a Flex Term synchronously.
  • Please note violations of Undergraduate Fellowship program policies are also violations of the Fundamental Standard and may be referred to the Office of Community Standards.
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