About the Program

Leadership for Democracy and Social Justice is pleased to launch the 2025 Social Change Fellowship. This year-long program begins in January of 2025 and concludes in December 2025.

The Social Change Fellowship is for passionate CUNY undergraduate students who seek training and support to become leaders for social change. Fellows might be interested in any social justice issue – everything from racial justice to climate justice; LGBTQ+ rights to labor rights; economic inequality to reproductive freedom. The fellowship will provide intensive in-person training and special courses, professional development, mentoring, stipends, and paid internships. Applicants must be CUNY undergraduate students who will be either Sophomores, Juniors, or Lower Seniors in the Spring 2025 semester.

Program Design 

The Social Change Fellowship will provide special in-person training in the forms of day long retreats. The retreats will be monthly and held on Saturdays for the Spring 2025 semester. In the summer, fellows will have an opportunity to dedicate their time to a paid internship and gain experience by working at one of our partner organizations. Monthly Saturday day long retreats will resume with the start of the Fall 2024 semester. Instructors for the retreats are seasoned social justice leaders and practitioners in the field with years of experience in the work. 

Fellows are required to take two academic courses, one in Spring 2025 and Fall 2025. Each course  will count for 3 credit bearing courses throughout their time in the fellowship (6 credits in total). The courses will be in person at The City College of New York (CCNY). If you are not a CCNY student and are selected to be part of this fellowship program you must go through the ePermit process and adhere to all the guidelines and deadlines to successfully register for the required course for the Spring of 2025 and again for the Fall of 2025.

The options for the academic courses are as follows :

• Options 1: Social Change in U.S. History -Wednesdays 2:00 pm-4:30 pm (Spring 2024) - in person at The City College of New York.

• Options 2: Rhetoric of Liberation: The Role of Narrative Power in Contemporary Movements - Thursdays 2:00 pm - 4:30 pm (Spring 2024) - in person at The City College of New York

  These courses are taught as a year long course (Spring 2024 and Fall 2024) to give a better opportunity for deeper learning on the topic. Whichever course fellows select they are required to complete both semesters (Spring 2024 and Fall 2024).

  Fall 2024 course day and times: CUNY has not finalized the Fall Academic 2024 calendar however anticipate that the course times for these courses will be during the day throughout the school week and in person around the same time, this is tentative. Please note that both academic courses are credit bearing and fellows will receive credit for taking the course in the Spring 2024 (3 credits) and Fall 2024 (3 credits).

  If you are interested in the Social Change Fellowship make sure to keep these class times open when it comes to registering for your courses for the Spring 2024 and Fall 2024 semesters.

Course Descriptions:

• Social Change in U.S. History: This course will examine different models for social change in U.S. history. Over the course of two semesters, we will study the country’s most significant movements for progressive social change, including abolition, civil rights, Black Power, feminism, LGBTQ+ rights, labor, and environmental justice. We will analyze each movement in order to ask broader questions about the theory and practice of social change work. Why do people join social movements and social justice organizations? How effective are different organizational models, strategies, and methods of social change work (e.g., organizing, mobilizing, advocacy, uprising, violence, and solidarity work)? How do different social movement actors understand power – and how does this shape their methods and strategies? When do social movements succeed? When do they fail? And why? As part of this work, we will pay close attention to the historical context in which each movement arose to give us insight into why some strategies work in certain historical moments but fail in others. Finally, we will consider the impact of changing technologies, from the printing press to the internet, on social movements. Our attention will be on the U.S., but we will also consider the international context in which some activists operated and the transnational coalitions that they formed. In addition, while we will primarily look at progressive or left-wing movements, toward the end of the course, we will also study some right-wing movements to assess the effectiveness of their strategies, methods, and organizational models.

• Rhetoric of Liberation: The Role of Narrative Power in Contemporary Movements: In this course, we will explore the pivotal role of storytelling in shaping a liberatory and inclusive society. In a landscape fraught with "fake news" and "alternative facts," narrative power becomes essential for earning trust amidst conflicting information, influencing perspectives, affirming values, and ultimately inspiring action. We will analyze significant social movements and movement moments, such as the immigrant rights struggle, the fight against the war on terror, the 'Me Too' movement, queer and trans resistance, and more. Emphasizing the importance of centering the experiences of those closest to oppression, this course explores how narrative power involves personal and political engagement, collaboration, and leadership. We will probe questions about who controls narratives under the structures and systems of state domination and how new ideas and visions for accountability, alternatives, and transformation emerge. In the second half of this course, we will delve into the profound impact of narrative power and rhetoric within the Black Radical Tradition. As described by political theorist Cedric Robinson, this tradition represents a fusion of cultural, intellectual, and action-oriented efforts to challenge societal norms rooted in anti-colonial and antislavery movements. It embodies resistance against oppressive forces and celebrates joy, embodiment, and love. Through multimedia resources, guest speakers, readings, and discussions, we will investigate how Black activists and organizers have harnessed narrative, storytelling, and symbolic tools to forge narrative power in pursuit of radical liberation and freedom.

• Fellowship Orientation -  Exact location: TBD, but in New York, 

• Wednesday, January 10, 2024 

• Monthly Spring 2024 Saturday daylong retreats - Exact location: TBD, but in New York, NY.
  The following dates:

• February 24, 2024 - Retreat kick off

• March 16, 2024

• April 6, 2024

• May 4, 2024

• Monthly Fall 2024 Saturday daylong retreats - Exact location: TBD, but in New York, NY. The following dates:

• September 14, 2024

• October 19, 2024

• November 9, 2024 - Closing of the retreats

• Paid Internship: A paid, full-time (32 hrs/week) 10 -week internship in the Summer of 2024 with a host partner organization focused on social justice work. There will be monthly virtual touch points that are to be scheduled closer to the start of the internship. 

• Mentorship and Career Coaching from our Career Empowerment Mentors. With experience in racial justice, immigrant rights, education reform and LGTBQ rights, to name a few, the career empowerment mentors will ensure Social Change Fellows have access to the resources they need to thrive in the field of social justice and movement building.

• Career Development Services: Access to a suite of career development workshops facilitated by a cadre of trainers who center equity and liberatory practices.

• Alumni Services: Participants will have access to and be part of a growing alumni network. Leadership for Democracy and Social Justice aims to have ongoing and robust engagement with alumni through private platforms, events, and ongoing programming throughout their careers.

Fellows will receive up to  $1,000 stipend in both the Spring 2024 and Fall 2024  semesters, and a $6,250 stipend for the 10-week summer internship, dependent on program attendance and participation. All components of the fellowship listed above  are mandatory.  LDSJ will cover fellows’ tuition costs for the required year-long course for both semesters if they do not receive financial aid to cover the required course.

Who is an Ideal Social Change Fellow?

• You are a current undergraduate CUNY student (full time or part time) who is interested in social justice but is unsure where to start.

• You may have limited experience but want to develop a career in a field of social justice. Experience can include volunteering, working or organizing in movements or organizations.

• You are interested in social justice issues such as: labor, racial justice, climate justice, gender justice, LGBTQ+ rights, health, economic inequality, among others.

• You would like to get hands-on work experience in the social justice field through a paid internship.

• You have some experience working within social justice movements or organizations, whether as a volunteer or activist or in a paid position, and want to know more about pursuing this as a career pathway.

Eligibility + Requirements 

• Must be a current undergraduate CUNY student who will be either a Sophomore, Junior, or Lower Senior when the fellowship starts in the Spring semester of 2024 with a minimum of 2.5 GPA (we do not take into consideration your GPA as part of our selection process)

• You can be either a full time or part time student but must be able to take one of the required year long courses which lasts through the Spring and Fall semesters for the fellowship. Please note that through this fellowship you will receive credit for both semesters for the year-long course. The course will be in person at The City College of New York (CCNY).

• If you are not a CCNY student and are selected to be part of this fellowship program you must go through the ePermit process and adhere to all the guidelines and deadlines to successfully register for the required course for the Spring of 2024 and again for the Fall of 2024.

• Must attend all in person retreats (dates listed above).

• Must be available to participate in a paid, full-time (32 hrs/week) 10-week internship in the Summer of 2024.

• Must be available to attend other Career Empowerment workshops and a number of one on one meetings with instructors and staff throughout the course of the Fellowship.

• You can be a Social Change Fellow regardless of immigration status.

• LDSJ will only cover the cost of the required courses needed for the fellowship if you do not receive Financial Aid or private scholarships that cover your tuition in full.

Social Change Fellowship Application
DEADLINE TO APPLY : October 30, 2023 - 11:59pm ET