Our Fellowship
UPDATE: Our Fellowship is currently closed to new applicants, but we are leaving this page up as an FYI. The application for our next cohort will open in 2024.
Communities who are most impacted by systemic injustices must be represented in positions of power within policy development processes. This is why Pathwaves WA looks for mid-career individuals who want to transform the field of Early Childhood Policy in Washington state to join our inaugural Fellowship Program.
The perks of joining
Each fellow in our program will be employed full-time and placed at one of our placement sites (which span across public, nonprofit, and philanthropic sectors) in a policy role. The work fellows do will include advocacy, community organizing and mobilization, policy and fiscal analysis, media and communications focused on policy and advocacy, policy research, and/or policymaking support of organizations working in policy.
Beyond full-time employment, the benefits of joining our Fellowship also include:
- Professional development, including mentorship and executive coaching — each Fellow will have opportunities to refine their leadership skills, expand their knowledge of early childhood policy, and develop policy solutions using antiracist approaches
- Becoming part of a growing network of leaders of color in the early childhood policy field
Qualifications
We are looking for Fellowship applicants who:
- Have a strong desire to impact the field of early childhood policy
- Reflect the communities most impacted by systemic injustices.
- Have strong interpersonal and communication skills
- Have a growth mindset, are curious and open to new ideas, and have a desire to learn and be challenged
- Aspire to co-create joyful, reflective space for growth with other BIPOC leaders
Eligibility
We will consider any and all mid-career applicants with diverse work experiences. We do not have a minimum education level requirement for this Fellowship. Rather, we are looking for BIPOC folks who:
- Have 6+ cumulative years of experience in early childhood work (or in related fields, such as policy work, healthcare, social services, community organizing, etc.), whether the years of experiences are professional, educational, volunteer experience, or any combination of the aforementioned
- Live in Washington state
- Have legal authority to work in the U.S.
Approximate application + selection timeline
June
Application period opens
July 25
Application due
Aug 1–5
First interviews
Aug 8–19
Placement site interviews
Sept
Applicants notified
Oct
Fellowship starts!
Stay connected
Join our mailing list to get updates about the Fellowship and keep tabs on the application timeline.