Young Leaders: We Need You!
A call to participate in New Dream’s 2018 Youth Fellowship Program
When you think about the future, what is your dream? What kind of world do you want to live in? What matters most to you?
New Dream, a national non-profit organization, wants to know. We’re seeking thoughtful people ages 16-25* to help define how we can best serve the next generation. We want your ideas, your honesty, and your reality. And we want to compensate you for your time and expertise.
(* or ages 18-25 if traveling from outside of the greater Boston area)
You are…
- Opinionated about how the world works, and how it impacts your future
- Passionate about and involved in communities you belong to
- Concerned and hopeful that your effort and your generation can make positive change
- Someone who believes that there are solutions to the problems we face
- Open to listening to other perspectives and sharing in productive dialogue
- Committed to equity, social justice, and amplifying voices that often go unheard
Commitment
Participation in the Fellowship includes several key commitments:
- Complete 1-2 hours of pre-work consisting of reading essays and watching short videos that provide background on New Dream’s issues
- Participate in a day-and-a-half-long in-person visioning session in Boston, MA, on July 10-11 (all expenses paid)
- Commit 10 hours beyond the visioning sessions to support continued work with New Dream (by computer or phone), such as drafting or designing youth-centered resources, reviewing materials for feedback, support for crowdfunding, amplifying messages, etc.
- Participate in 1-2 follow-up phone calls (group or 1:1)
Benefits
Fellows will:
- Be paid a $500 stipend for participation in the visioning session and follow-up work (a total of 20 hours); all accommodation, food, travel, and meeting expenses will be covered
- Inform the direction and strategy of a leading national organization that connects the dots and inspires change around how we consume and the effects on the environment and our quality of life
- Make connections and build relationships with a diverse, multi-generational group all working towards a livable, happier future
- Build skills in strategic planning, crowdfunding, media relations, networking, social media, and more
I’m in! How do I sign up?
Great! We want to hear from you. Please email Amy Hartzler at amy@newdream.org by Friday, June 22, 2018 with brief responses to the following questions:
- What is your name, city/town of residence, and age?
- What keeps you up at night? (describe specific local or global issues, personal or social challenges, etc.)
- What do you think we can do about it?
- Please include your social media handles if they’re public and you feel comfortable sharing them.
We will follow up to let you know next steps for collaborating when we hear from you.
We also invite young leaders ages 12-25 to apply before July 31 to participate in our Youth Advisory Council. This is a lighter commitment in terms of time, and just as critical to ensuring that the youth-centered tools and resources that are created speak directly to the desire for a "less stuff, more meaning" way of life.
Thanks for your interest in supporting New Dream!
Partners and Sponsors: We need you, too!
We are seeking committed individuals from aligned partner organizations to nominate Youth Fellows; financially support New Dream’s Youth Fellowship Program, including donations to cover $500 stipend and travel; participate in our visioning sessions and strategic planning; and lend skills, connections, and resources to bring our ideas to life.
New Dream Fellowship Description
By equipping young people to become the leaders of New Dream's future, we hope to:
- Understand the future that young people want to build and shape, and our service to the world they will inherit
- Repurpose New Dream's significant assets to center youth, while reinforcing our interconnectedness, to drive multi-generational engagement toward long-term behavior change
- Give young people real agency and decision-making power over where and how social and financial capital are directed
- Create other opportunities for significant change *and* earned media by centering younger voices
Please email Amy Hartzler at amy@newdream.org to learn about the many ways you can be involved.
What Is New Dream?
New Dream (formerly the Center for a New American Dream) was founded in 1997, at a time when no one was talking about over-consumption as a driver of troubling environmental and societal trends (issues included trash and waste, work-life balance, sustainable packaging and production, the effects of advertising on young people). Our founders sought practical ways for people to take action to reduce wasteful consumption for the benefit of people and the planet.
Today we are shifting to fully center youth in our work. We will lift up the voices of young people—as one of many marginalized communities—and engage all of our assets, for a future that works for us all.