If you’re looking for a way to get involved in turning around Detroit, this might be your ticket.
Detroit Revitalization Fellows is accepting applications for its 2015-17 fellowship from Jan. 26 to Feb. 20. The program is part of Wayne State University’s Office of Economic Development and offers talented mid-career leaders the chance to stimulate Detroit’s economic, civic, and community development.
Accepted fellows serve in full time salaried positions for two years and they participate in leadership development opportunities, including study trips, monthly workshops, and “Detroit Dialogues,” an opportunity to discuss some of the city’s key issues with community leaders.
Though fellows don’t have to be from Detroit to apply, the program is especially interested in receiving applications from Detroiters who already live in the city or those who left the region and are ready to return home.
Here’s how they will be chosen. About 20 applicants will be selected from a competitive national pool to serve as the 2015-17 Detroit Revitalization Fellows. The fellows program, started in 2011, has awarded forty-eight fellowships from two cohorts. Around 1,000 professionals applied for a chance to take part in the 2011-13 and 2013-15 fellowships.
Most fellows generally have a graduate degree and between 5 and 15 years of work experience.
The 2015-17 fellowship employers offer applicants a range of opportunities in areas like city government, transportation, youth development, arts and culture, economic development, and environment. The impact that Detroit Revitalization Fellows have had on the city is evident in the many projects they’ve spearheaded, including REVOLVE Detroit (helping pop-up businesses get going), the Detroit Lighting Authority (now managing improvements to Detroit’s moribund streetlight system), Motor City Mapping (getting a clear idea of what the city actually has), and Source Detroit (which promotes the idea of buying locally).
“Being a Detroit Revitalization Fellow is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to impact the future of our city,” said Graig Donnelly, director of Detroit Revitalization Fellows. “These are exciting positions for emerging leaders who want to drive progress in creative and collaborative ways. Fellows will spend their time digging deep into neighborhoods and projects, making meaningful connections with one another and their communities.”
If you’re interested in being a Fellow, visit detroitfellows.wayne.edu for more information.