Praxis Fellowship

Location: Remote/In-Person Hybrid: Oakland, CA/Greater SF Bay Area

Project Title: I bo la chi? The Afro Culture Kids Digital Multimedia Toolkit

Afro Urban Society is a non-profit organization of cultural creatives dedicated to boosting art, media, and the tough-but-necessary conversations relevant to the African diaspora. Our project Afro Culture Kids (ACK) instills and insists on the authentic representation and practice of African (Pan-African) culture to combat shame, and erasure of our identities and practices. Through our arts & cultural programming for young people, we engage indigenes of various African and Afro-Diaspora communities to share language, food, music, dance and art, so that our communities can feel pride, inclusivity and joy in who and whose they are.

We would like to create an ACK! Toolkit to share our philosophy, pedagogy and practices so that we can document why, and how we do our work, as well as have something to pass on to other practitioners who may want to create similar work. Our vision is that we will create a generation of people who stand fully in the power and beauty of our own languages, foods, traditions, and know that they are enough.

I bo la chi? The Afro Culture Kids Toolkit

Fellowship Description: Undergraduate Fellows will lead the creation of this Multimedia Toolkit that shares the idea and impetus of our project, it will include short film/video, audio, photo, illustrations, and written words. It will share our guiding principles, testimonials from the community, activities, and components of our program. Core tasks include:

• Research into the challenges and opportunities of African cultural identities
• Gathering of video, audio and written interviews of youth, relevant community members, practitioners and field professionals
• Creation of a 3-4 minute creative highlight documentary for our various communities on the need and impact of Afro Culture Kids endeavor
• Creation of an engaging and beautifully designed digital toolkit/site that is easy and fun to use/reference
• Joining our team of Camp facilitators to implement our summer session of Afro Culture Kids Camp

Accompanying the creation of the toolkit will be the in-person immersion of being a part of our Afro Culture Kids Summer camp in Oakland, planning an event, and a release/share-back of the Toolkit. 

Useful Skills

• Ability to self-direct, follow through with tasks independently and manage projects that include a variety of people
• Experience and familiarity with Google suite, PDF, Digital, Social media platforms, Slack and other web and computer-based processing and communication software
• Collaboration with varying skills and cultures of folks (i.e. filmmakers, graphic designers, creative directors, parents, youth, artists and cultural facilitators)
• Lived experience and commitment to the uplifting and upholding the beauty, joy, and self-determination of people of African descent.

Location: hybrid in New York City or fully remote

Project Title: AI documentation standards as a policy mechanism for algorthmic bias mitigation

AI systems are only as effective, accurate and inclusive as the data that they are trained on - if the data provided to a model for training purposes is incomplete, biased or unrepresentative, then the system will be as well. Often these systems will harm the same communities that are already marginalized by technology. The Data Nutrition Project (DNP) investigates methods of increasing the quality & equity of AI systems by building “Dataset Nutrition Labels” (analogous to FDA Nutritional Labels for datasets) that help data practitioners identify the “ingredients” of a dataset -- especially those that are anomalous -- before issues of underlying bias are further propagated in a model. 

With growing national and international attention to AI regulation, now is a pivotal moment to think about the implementation of accountability and governance for ML models and AI systems in practice. Documentation, including initiatives such as the Dataset Nutrition Label, has emerged as one of the primary starting points for ML and AI developers to provide transparency into ML models and multi-model systems, thus functioning as a critical component to responsible AI processes.

Fellowship Description: This fellowship will focus on research into current and upcoming AI regulation frameworks with an eye towards documentation requirements and emerging standards, using the Dataset Nutrition Label framework as a starting point for comparison. The goal of this project is to emerge with a thorough, possibly opinionated landscape analysis of documentation approaches and how (whether, why, why not) these will work in practice, especially as they pertain to risks or harms that may fall on minority or underserved populations. 

Undergraduate Fellows will help with the following tasks: 

1. Policy Review: Research major current and upcoming AI policy frameworks, with an eye towards documentation standards for AI; 
2. Alignment with emerging standards, including the Dataset Nutrition Label: Research existing and emerging documentation standards and align these with regulatory approaches or requirements; 
3. Building a perspective on what will work and why: Leveraging the landscape and documentation standards analysis, and possibly supported through expert and community interviews, build a perspective on what, how, and why these policy approaches will work. Output can be a paper, presentation, coding project, etc. 

Helpful experience (though not required): 

• Building and/or using Machine Learning systems; 
• Interest in the intersection of racial equity and bias in technical systems; 
• Experience with policy or advocacy, especially with regards to addressing community harms. 

Location: Mostly remote-hybrid in San Francisco and Los Angeles

Project Title: FLACC’s El Grito Podcast and Archive Project for the Advancement of Latinx and Indigenous Choreographers of the Americas.

Mentors: Artistic Director: Liz Duran Boubion, Marketing Manager: Marivel Mendoza and Members of the FLACC Advisory Committee.

Fellowship Description: For the last 10 years, the Festival of Latin American Contemporary Choreographers has built a legacy upon being the 1st and largest grassroots festival of its kind in the U.S., creating a platform of visibility and inclusion that amplifies the radical and traditional aesthetics of Chicanx, Latinx and Indigenous Choreographers and Culture Bearers locally and internationally. Through live performances, master classes, art talks, work-in-progress feedback showings, panel discussions, public art interventions, on-line interviews and political activism, FLACC’s contribution to the contemporary dance sector has lead important conversations about equity and inclusion, centralized the role of art and social change, and has inspired a growing movement of similar festivals for Latinx choreographers to take root in other places in the country.  

The Archive Library and Podcast project will leverage the existing body of work of over 70 hours of documentation by revisiting performances and culture shares by over 90 FLACC artists and Culture Bearers over the years.  It will also generate new content that includes interviews, presentations and workshops with new artists and community leaders in other regions.  During this year of reflection and community building, as we begin a new decade of innovative programming, the intention of this virtual project is to focus on FLACC’s impact, nurture and build alliances with our communities locally and abroad.  While staying committed to those who have paved the way FLACC will provide a valuable resource for dance artists, scholars, historians and activists in the arts.  

The Archive and Podcast project will model itself after FLACC’s 2020 online festival “El Grito” - a series of live conversations with Latinx artists which was presented during the global pandemic as well as during an election year.  Historically, the artistic subjects of FLACC featured artists and culture bearers encompassing a broad spectrum of abstract to literal themes related to intersectional identity, queer and gender politics, latinidad, language liberation, immigration rights, family histories, indigenous rights, decolonization, environmental issues and traditional significance.

The Archive podcast will serve to: 

• develop a qualitative, accessible and embodied way to measure the impact of FLACC 
• continue to uplift marginalized voices of the Latinx diaspora
• learn from established Latinx and Indigenous artists in the field of dance 
• act in solidarity with artists who are working on social justice issues, community healing projects and the advancement of Latinx and Indigenous contemporary choreographers of the Americas.

The archive project has 3 phases:

• 1st phase- Jan-March- organizing, uploading, coding content, tagging-meta data based on themes 
• 2nd phase-March-April- information descriptions for public facing(300 words) Context- landing page. Securing images. + choreographer/bio- Marketing
• 3rd phase-June-Sept. (10 weeks) Social Justice Focus.weekly or monthly- programming- curating/exhibiting performances, interviews or featuring artists in the archives

Undergraduate Fellows will enter the process in the 2nd and 3rd Phase and may assist with several facets of the project: 

1. Document, research and support the development related to the project.
2. Assist with community outreach, grant writing, fundraising, budgeting
3. Coordinating artists, moderators and activists for regular programming for summer of love (social justice component)
4. Provide tech support for building the Archive Library accessible through the FLACC website and providing technical support/co-facilitation for online presentations on Zoom, Youtube or Vimeo. Understanding and planning around the monetization and membership possibilities of a podcast.
5. Engage in the strategic planning process for FLACC as an organization to increase capacity and stability.

Helpful experience (though not required): 

• Experience or connection to the Latinx community.
• Experience and interest in the performing arts.
• Experience in social activism, community organizing and non-profit leadership
• Bilingual (English/Spanish)
• Technical knowledge, website building, public relations, project management

Some models to look to:

FLACC’s El Grito: https://youtu.be/fGRm8CMTbs4 

Miguel Gutierrez “Are you for Sale”: https://www.areyouforsalepodcast.com/

Sima Belmar’s Dance Cast: https://odc.dance/dancecast

Location: Hybrid in Union City, CA (FAJ main office)

• Travel around Alameda County (FAJ UC Office, FAJ Oakland office, Hayward, Union City, etc.) as needed depending on workshop/responsibilities 

Project Title: Summer Leadership Development Program (TAY Cohort)

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. 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 as a participant of our TAY (Transitional Age Youth) component alongside our Youth Component, spending most of their summer on a hybridized WFH / in-office Union City schedule. The goal of this internship is for our interns to become stronger leaders in their future endeavors, and/or representatives of FAJ in coalition spaces, hold workshops and spaces for cultivating the greater community, and lead outreach campaigns. 

Projects that may come up for fellows in collaboration with our Summer program would focus on campaigns regarding the 2024 election, Hayward housing campaigns, etc. Past fellows have participated in canvassing and phonebanking, and current fellows may expect the same. Fellows may also be asked to create a capstone project (workshop, zine, ePortfolio - all TBD closer to Summer) to summarize their time at FAJ. This project may be done individually or with other fellows, also TBD closer to Summer. 

Preferred Qualifications:

• Access to proper transportation to and from work throughout Alameda County
• Flexible, empathetic, open-minded, self-motivated, resourceful 
• Willingness to learn and collaborate with a team; receptive to critical feedback from staff and peers
• Willingness to provide mentorship and guidance to high school students who are part of FAJ’s youth programs
• Relevant experience in underserved populations, community-based services, and education
• Committed to championing causes that better material conditions and well-being of working class Filipinos and BIPOC
• Ability to work in a manner that respects differences in race, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, religion, ability and socio-economic status

Location: Oakland, CA (hybrid/remote flexible)

Somos Familia builds leadership in our Latinx families and communities to create a culture where people of diverse genders and sexual orientations can thrive. This summer we will be working on updating our workshops and training materials and facilitating sessions at Bay Area community organizations. Additionally, we will be planning and executing community-building events, such as participating in San Francisco Pride events together.

The Undergraduate Fellow may assist with several facets of our work:

• Attend and assist in coordination of Somos Familia education activities, including training of trainers and community workshops
• Plan and participate in of the community-building events
• Assist with outreach efforts, including phonebanking, social media, and email  
• Assist in the development of content and logistics coordination for community workshops, trainings, and events

Desired Skills:

• Excellent writing, research and interpersonal communication skills
• Proficiency with Google Drive and Calendar, Slack, internet and e-mail
• Ability to prioritize and handle a variety of assignments simultaneously
• Attention to detail and accountability
• Support and/or personal connection to the mission of Somos Familia
• Bilingual in Spanish and English preferred.

Location: Remote

About: Stop AAPI Hate is a U.S.-based coalition dedicated to ending racism and discrimination against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAs & PIs). We strive to advance the multiracial movement for equity and justice by building power for our communities, working in solidarity with other communities of color, and advocating for comprehensive solutions that tackle the root causes of race-based hate.

As the nation’s largest reporting center tracking anti-AAPI hate acts, our coalition publishes data insights and research findings to paint a vivid and nuanced picture of racism and other forms of bigotry as it is experienced by our communities. Leveraging our core strategies – Data & Research, Policy & Advocacy, Community Capacity Building, and Narrative Change – we drive progress across three distinct issue areas to create a safer, more equitable future for all.

Project Description: The 10-week Stop AAPI Hate (SAH) Praxis Fellowship correlates with the approach of Ethnic Studies, which encourages young people to collaborate and learn from social justice organizations and community members.

The Fellowship will bridge the selected student’s interests and expertise with SAH issue areas (civil rights, educational equity, healing justice, community safety and transformation). For example, 2023 Praxis Fellow YuYu Yuan’s final project was a story-sharing zine at the intersection of Community Safety, Healing Justice, and Educational Equity.

Potential issue areas the 2024 Fellow will work in may include:

• Civil Rights Protections: Our coalition advocates for stronger civil rights to protect our communities from discrimination and unfair treatment and ensure that we can participate fully in our democracy and in life – at school and work, in stores, on public transit, when seeking housing and other services.
  •  Example of Fellow Project(s): Supporting the creation and dissemination of youth-focused Know Your Rights materials, such as blogs, toolkits, and/or social media resources.
• Community Safety and Transformation: Our coalition advocates for holistic resources to confront all forms of hate – whether interpersonal or institutional – support victims and survivors on their path to recovery, and build safer, more equitable communities for all.
  • Example of Fellow Project(s): Identifying and promoting youth-led models of healing after harm under Stop AAPI Hate’s campus safety work.
• Education Equity: Our coalition advocates for ethnic studies and education-based solutions to lift up the various histories and present-day experiences of Asian American and Pacific Islander communities and teach future generations how to thrive in our ever-changing world.
  • Example of Fellow Project(s): With Stop AAPI Hate team, organizing support for Ethnic and AAPI Studies with local, statewide, and/or national advocates and students.

Undergraduate Fellows may assist with several facets of Stop AAPI Hate’s work, including:

1. Research & Data: Learning and supporting quantitative or qualitative research, alongside community groups, on the root causes of “hate.”
2. Narrative Change: Analyzing dominant narratives experienced by young people and AAPI communities, then supporting the creation and sharing of powerful, affirming, and anti-racist narratives.
3. Advocacy: Supporting the creation and dissemination of educational materials targeting policymakers, students, community groups, and other key stakeholders as part of civil rights or racial equity campaigns.
4. Healing Justice: Examining promising models of non-carceral, non-punitive healing and accountability. Past example of a Praxis Fellow’s work: YuYu Yuan’s Story Circles Zine.

Helpful experience (though not required):

• Commitment to and interest in Stop AAPI Hate’s mission, vision, and issue areas, ii) interest and/or experience in improving access and equity, including racial equity, within communities;
• Experience working with datasets, especially those with a focus on demographic data;
• Experience or interest in narrative change and strategic communications to move the needle on social justice issues;
• Experience with policy or advocacy, especially with regards to addressing community harms.

TGI Justice Project ( https://tgijp.org) 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. Details for this fellowship is forthcoming, please check back for updates. 

Summer 2023 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.