Summer Academy Fellowship

APPLICATION DEADLINE: For Summer 2011, application deadline is Friday March 11th, 2011. The applications process will begin January 17, 2011. Decisions will be made and communicated by April 15th. Placement dates are June 13, 2011–August 19, 2011.

What is the Academy for Leadership and Action?

The Task Force's Academy for Leadership and Action (the Academy) prepares leaders and potential leaders, primarily at the local and state levels, to fill the staff, board, and volunteer roles critical to the success of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) movement. We lead direct action for immediate policy gains, develop leadership and long-term organizational capacity, build stronger alliances between secular and religious communities, and shift worldviews to frame LGBT issues within a larger progressive social justice movement that makes explicit connections to struggles against systematic oppression.

The Task Force is committed to building a social justice movement where everyone can be their full selves. We work with individuals and communities that reflect the full spectrum of LGBT people and their allies. We have come to understand that a truly transformed society will mean that movements, communities, organizations and individuals need to be interdependent, interconnected and working to ensure that all individual and collective bodies are liberated. We bring a racial and economic justice analysis to all of our movement building work; our ultimate goal is to build movements, leaders and organizations that transform society.

What is the Summer Academy Fellowship?

This is not your average fellowship — this is your chance to create change. The Summer Academy Fellowship is a paid social justice fellowship that's furiously intense. The program provides the first-hand, real-world experience working for social justice necessary for becoming professional organizers or capacity builders. You’ll learn to develop and disseminate a progressive worldview that connects LGBT issues to struggles against racism, classism, ableism, and spiritual oppression; to build relationships with a broad-cross section of other LGBT movement leaders, especially in communities of faith and communities of color, that will endure for the long-term; and to mobilize mass numbers of people for direct action targeted at achieving immediate political gains for the LGBT community.

All Academy fellows will work on a combination of the following:

• Work at the denominational and congregational levels within communities of faith to change hearts and minds about LGBT people.
• Co-create multi-media trainings and resources to support online leadership development.
• Participate in training and organizing that builds the organizational strength of people of color organizations.
• Lead trainings and collective actions for campaigns that yield immediate ballot measure and legislative victories at the state and local levels.

The 2011 Summer Academy Fellowship is being offered with three focus areas:

? Campaigns – organizing around specific ballot and legislative issues that impact the LGBT movement. Based in New York City or Los Angeles.
? Working in Religious/Spiritual Communities – organizing in faith communities to work on denominational and secular issues that impact the LGBT movement. Based in Minneapolis, MN.
? Training and Curriculum – collaborate on creating dynamic and effective leadership training in multiple formats: written, audio and video. Based in Washington, DC.

Please rank these focus areas based on your interest; fellows selected for summer 2011 will be assigned to work in one focus area.

Stipend and Placement

Summer fellows are paid a net stipend of $500 per week. The summer 2011 term runs for 10 weeks, from June through August, with a possible extension through November. Summer fellows are responsible for their own housing and living expenses.

Qualifications

• Strong desire to excel as an organizer; openness and thirst for learning and self improvement.
• Organizing and training ability – demonstrated experience in recruiting, motivating and training people to engage in collective action..
• Knowledge of and great curiosity about all aspects of the LGBT community, especially within communities of faith and communities of color.
• Ability and desire to travel extensively – this fellowship may require you to travel up to 15 days per month.
• Willingness to work evening and weekend hours when projects demand it.
• Demonstrated capacity and desire to work as a team player in a multi-cultural environment where diversity based on race, ethnic origin, gender, age, sexual orientation, real or perceived gender identity, physical ability, and spiritual practice is an important value.

Applications must be received by Friday, March 11, 2010. Decisions will be made and communicated by Friday, April 15th, 2011.

To request an application: Contact Evangeline Weiss, Leadership Programs Director at eweiss@thetaskforce.org, or call 202-639-6314.

The Task Force is an equal opportunity employer. Women, transgender people, and people of color are especially encouraged to apply.