Fellowship Opportunity – Systems Thinker at IFSLP in Ahmedabad

The world of work is looking for young people who have the knowledge, skills and empathy that allows them to understand complex systems and identify leverages – to make a shift in the status quo. The civil society action in India needs this more than any other sphere perhaps. Systems thinking is not just a qualification, it is a way of life. You might be from any background, as long as you think you have the knack to build your work with this philosophy, please read on and apply.

Inviting application for our 15th cohort

Last Date: 31st January 2023

India Fellow is an 18-month leadership program for young professionals from various walks of life, willing to live and work alongside some really remote and marginalized communities and find their leadership potential to bring about change. It is an experiential journey to immerse in the social realities of our country and being our best version to build a better future.

In the last 12 years, we have had 221 fellows from varied academic and professional backgrounds who have worked across the country with a total of 50 partner organizations in rural and urban projects. Fellows have been solving complex problems using frameworks in Project Management, Organizational Development, Design Thinking, Systems Practice, Technology for Good, Strategic Communication and Policy Advocacy. In the past, we have been fortunate to be supported by ICICI Foundation, Tata Trusts, Paul Hamlyn Foundation, InfoEdge Pvt. Ltd. (Naukri.com), and WaterAid India.

**********

Fellowship Design:

India Fellow has the following four major aspects:

1] Working with Communities: India Fellows spend most of their time (16.5 months) working at grassroots with leading social organizations committed to bring positive change. This can be anywhere across the country. The fellow is expected to live in their work area, typically a rural or a peri-urban setup, and understand the complexities at that level.

2] Training: India Fellow has 45 days of residential training, spread across the duration of 18 months. This is divided into 3 parts of 15 days each at the start, middle and end of the journey. The India Fellow pedagogy is unique; it engages a strong collective of various leaders, academicians, social scientists and practitioners. Trainings are in locations like Udaipur, Delhi, Bhuj, Himalayan belt, Sundarbans amongst others.

3] Constant engagement: Throughout the duration, fellows document their observations, experiences and insights; engage in intense blended learning modules, group online courses for certification and fundraising to build a holistic understanding of development and gain crucial skill sets.

4] Mentor-ship: Every fellow is exposed to a pool of mentors, who are experts with deep experience in their domain. Along with that, the fellowship ecosystem consists of facilitators, alumni and experienced professionals who are available to interact with the fellows to enrich their experience.

Selection Process:

• Fill out the online application form.
• Participate in a short telephonic conversation with an alumni.
• Respond to a situation judgement test online.
• Attend the assessment day (group activities and personal interview)
• The final cohort will be announced by March 2023. Fellowship begins in 10th April, 2023.

Eligibility:

• You are between 20 to 30 years of age
• You are ready for an 18-month full-time commitment to the fellowship
• You understand that you will be expected to engage 24*7 with the fellowship
• You are already a graduate (in any discipline) or will be by fellowship start date
• You understand that you can be placed in any part of the country and in any thematic area