APPLICATIONS FOR THIS FELLOWSHIP ARE NOW CLOSED.
The FAO Schwarz Fellow at 826 Boston
Boston, MA
About the Fellowship Position
The 826 Boston Fellow will provide individualized writing support across 826 Boston’s programs and develop processes and tools to provide more students with access to 826 Boston’s publishing program.
The Fellowship program provides opportunities for new college graduates interested in social impact careers to be part of organizations that are deeply committed to social justice and equity. Through a combination of direct service and leadership challenges, professional development and mentoring, Fellows gain first-hand experience leading change and learn how effective nonprofits create lasting and measurable progress.
826 Boston is a nonprofit writing, tutoring, and publishing organization where students in grades K-12 and beyond can share their stories, amplify their voices, and develop as leaders in school and in life.
Direct Service
The FAO Schwarz Fellow will provide individualized writing support via 1:1 and small group writing conferences across 826 Boston’s programs. Through long-term engagements, the Fellow will support students in strengthening their writing and creative self-expression skills.
The Fellow will:
- Work with K-12 students to brainstorm, draft, and revise their pieces for publication, ensuring students’ authentic voices are centered throughout the writing process. Projects focus on a range of genres and topics, such as personal narrative, creative short story, identity-based poetry, and more.
- Develop and lead writing workshops focused on a variety of topics associated with the Young Authors’ Book Project.
- Facilitate the student editorial board, a paid student leadership opportunity, to drive the creative direction of the Young Authors’ Book Project.
Special Project
The FAO Schwarz Fellow will develop processes and tools to provide more students with access to 826 Boston’s publication program and to expand the array of 826 Boston’s print and digital publications.
The Fellow will:
- Develop resources for podcasts and other media for sharing student writing to raise the professional quality of these products to be comparable to print publications.
- Collaborate with the Publishing Manager on the production of the Young Authors’ Book Project, engaging key stakeholders–community partners, designers, copyeditors, photographers, and more–in developing an original and creative publication.
- Expand the reach of student voices across the city, creating more opportunities for students to authentically share their stories through in-person and digital platforms.
LOCATION Boston, Massachusetts
WEB 826boston.org
FOUNDED 2007
STAFF 32
How to Apply
Applicants must be college seniors at accredited four-year colleges or universities at the time of application and be eligible to work in the United States for the duration of the two-year Fellowship.
The deadline to apply is February 5, 2024 at 9:00 pm ET. Host organizations will select applicants for interviews and make their decisions by the end of April 2024. Fellowships begin in the summer of 2024.
Learn more about 826 Boston by visiting their website
A Closer Look
About 826 Boston
826 Boston transforms students into published authors, building their arsenal of literacy skills and boosting their confidence with hands-on projects. We are one of nine chapters that make up the 826 network, which was spearheaded by author Dave Eggers and educator Nínive Calegari and now hosts centers in nine cities: Boston, San Francisco, Ann Arbor/Detroit, Chicago, Los Angeles, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New Orleans, New York City, and Washington, D.C.
826 Boston’s services are structured around the understanding that great leaps in learning can happen with individualized attention and that strong writing skills are fundamental to future success. With this understanding in mind, we provide after-school tutoring, in-school Writers’ Rooms, college essay assistance, writing workshops, help for English Language Learners, in-depth publishing projects, and youth leadership opportunities.
826 Boston’s senior management team of four are currently leading the organization, and the team has expanded to 32 staff members. Five staff members are bilingual, which helps 826 Boston reach a diverse student base and differentiate learning models. We also currently host 15 full-time, year-round service members. To provide individualized writing support to students, 826 Boston engages a volunteer corps that utilizes more than 400 committed and trained individuals each year.
Our current strategic plan focuses on growth through elevating our Writers’ Room network to provide cross-program student writing and leadership experiences, launching an 826 Boston Alumni Network, expanding the reach of our STEM literacy training and college essay assistance programming, and expanding multimedia publishing opportunities.
Impact
Our Impact
• 826 Boston has developed a track record of providing transformative programs where students in Boston become published authors. Since opening its doors in 2007, 826 Boston has worked with more than 30,000 students, 340 teachers, and 80 schools.
• Students, teachers, and parents all believe that 826 Boston improves students’ voice (87%), writing skills (81%), social and emotional skills (91%), and their ability to advocate for their future (90%).
• Students, teachers and parents all agree that 826 Boston creates a welcoming and brave space for students (98%), builds a collaborative community (97%), celebrates and amplifies student voice (97%), and provides diverse core programming and innovative curriculum (96%).
• Annually, 826 Boston’s innovative book projects transform upwards of 500 Boston Public Schools students into published writers who have showcased their work in The Boston Globe, The New York Times, the BBC, and many more media outlets. For example, last year the Globe reviewed I Was Meant For This, a publication of students’ speeches which chronicles the dreams of tomorrow’s leaders of Boston. As Globe columnist Adrian Walker wrote in the book’s foreword, “These are the speeches—and the voices—of young people who know that they matter and that their thoughts and dreams matter…We need their voices more than ever.”
Policies
COVID POLICY
Please see here for 826 Boston’s full COVID Policy. 826 Boston will follow the CDC timeline and response to exposure and positive test results for COVID-19. (Please note: these links will open in new tabs.)
NONDISCRIMINATION POLICY
All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
826 Boston provides reasonable accommodations for candidates with disabilities at every stage of the application process. Disclosing a disability or requesting a need for accommodations is a separate process from admissions and will have absolutely no bearing on a candidate’s application status. 826 Boston will make every effort to meet your request, but specific requests are not guaranteed. If you need to request an accommodation, please contact HR Manager Catherine Gomez at Catherine@826boston.org.
Compensation
Fellows who start their Fellowship during the summer of 2024 will receive total compensation of approximately $90,000 plus benefits over the two-year Fellowship.
+ $42,000 in year one (includes $2,000 start of Fellowship bonus)
+ $48,000 in year two (includes $3,000 end of Fellowship bonus)
+ Health insurance coverage (100%—approximate value $12,000/year)*
+ Monthly subway pass (approximate value $1,200/year)
+ Professional development & leadership training
* Fellows are responsible for co-pays and expenses not covered by insurance.
Typical Work Schedule
The Fellow will work in person for a minimum of two days/week throughout the full calendar year and will work at a suitable location of their choice on the remaining days. The anticipated work schedule is as follows:
Monday – remote (site of their choosing, including 826 Boston office)
Tuesday – in-person (826 Boston Development/Communications office, 1865 Columbus Ave., Roxbury)
Wednesday – in-person, as-needed (826 Boston program site, e.g. Writers’ Rooms, In-School Program site, After-school/Evening Tutoring)
Thursday – in-person (826 Boston Development/Communications office, 1865 Columbus Ave., Roxbury)
Friday – remote (site of their choosing, including 826 Boston office)