Applications are currently being accepted for the American Bird Conservancy’s (ABC) Conservation and Justice Fellowships. These are paid, part-time opportunities that allow individuals with a wide range of backgrounds and expertise to work closely with ABC staff and partners on understanding how bird conservation efforts can support local communities, ensure the consideration of varied perspectives, and engage more people.
Two types of fellowships are being offered in the 2024 application cycle:
1. Community Engagement Fellowships are intended for mid-career individuals seeking to create change through noticing, deep listening, and respectful engagement with ABC’s existing partners or with potential partners, who might include the residents of a place where we do conservation work, Tribes or Indigenous groups, environmental justice organizations, or the members of conservation networks.
Community engagement Fellows will work closely with ABC hosts to carry out research that centers interviews and will create reports, tool kits, communications materials, or other products as requested by the communities they engage. These fellowships are most appropriate for people with some experience in community engagement, education, organizing, social science research, or long-term service work.
2. Storytelling Fellowships are intended for early career individuals who are passionate about ethical and inclusive storytelling. Storytelling Fellows will also engage in deep listening, observation, and independent research, but their focus will be on creatively communicating work that explicitly benefits (or could benefit) both birds and people. These fellowships are most relevant for people who enjoy writing, visual art, oral storytelling, photography, creating videos, poetry, social media, or other aspects of storytelling.
Nine total projects are available within the fellowship program. Most projects allow for Fellows to be based anywhere, and the majority of the work will be remote. For some projects, there is a preference for Fellows to be based in a specific geography or to travel to places where ABC and our partners work. You can learn more about the specific projects here.
Fellows will work part-time between June of 2024 and May of 2025. The specific number of hours per week will vary based on each Fellow’s schedule and project deadlines. Community Engagement Fellows will receive a stipend of $20,000 for about 300 hours of work and Storytelling Fellows will receive $10,000 for about 300 hours of work.
Applications are welcome from a diversity of people, including people historically excluded from or marginalized within the field of biodiversity conservation. These opportunities are available to freelance workers, consultants, current students, recent graduates, and to those with part-time or full-time positions (as long as you are authorized to do additional part-time work). There are no degree requirements, but ABC requires an interest in birds, experience in biodiversity conservation or social justice, and a passion for intersectional, community-engaged work.
Applications are accepted through the end of March 2024. To learn more and apply click here.
This program has also been added to the Green Jobs Network fellowship website climatefellowships.com. Thanks and good luck to those who apply!
