The Pathwaves WA Early Childhood Fellowship is an employment-based Fellowship focused on increasing the representation and power of people of color, particularly people from Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and Pacific Islander communities in early childhood policy spaces.

We have a broad definition of early childhood that encompasses family well-being, social/emotional health, cognitive development, physical health, mental health, attachment, child care, education, and enrichment for all children, prenatal to age 5.

No. While a degree or other type of formal education may be a valuable asset for Fellows, we also recognize that expertise is gained in many other ways.

At a minimum, we expect that Fellows will:

• Demonstrate commitment to advancing antiracism in the early childhood policy field
• Reflect the communities most impacted by systemic oppression who lack sufficient representation in policy decision-making in Washington state
• Be prepared to work full-time as a Fellow from October 2024 to June 2026
• Be legally authorized to work in the U.S. and live in Washington state by the start of the program
• Have proof of full vaccination against COVID-19

We are specifically focused on public policy and define that as working on adopted laws, rules, and budgets adopted by government entities. Policy specific roles could include:

• coalition work focused on policy and advocacy
• strategy and/or implementation for community organizing and mobilization
• media and communications focused on policy and/or advocacy
• staffing policymaking bodies or agencies
• policymaker education
• policy and fiscal analysis and research
• policy development

The Fellowship is specifically interested in the coordination of these roles across the public and nonprofit sectors.

This is a full-time, 20-month, employment-based Fellowship, where Fellows will be:

• Placed in an organization four days per week (32 hrs/week) at a placement site.
• Engaged one day (8 hrs/week) in professional development, including: access to mentorship, executive coaching, participation in speaker series, training, wellness activities, and pure social connection with others in the cohort.
• Employed by Pathwaves WA or a placement site organization while being supported by Fellowship staff and a cohort of Fellows.

The next Fellowship cohort is set to launch in Fall 2024 and run through the spring of 2026.

Fellows received a starting salary of $62,000/annually and access to employee-sponsored benefits such as medical insurance, 401(k), paid holidays and paid time off. Additional supports will include professional mentorship, executive coaching and frequent opportunities for professional development and relational networking inside and outside of the cohort of Fellows.

We are establishing partnerships with a variety of placement sites across Washington state that have demonstrated commitments, cultures, and practices to undo institutional racism and drive continued antiracist values in both internal and external work. These include both “established” policy organizations and smaller community-based service organizations who have an interest in expanding their state-based policy/advocacy work.

Read more about them on our partner sites page.

The application process will include a written application, interviews with the Fellowship selection committee, and with placement sites. The application review and interview process will take place over the course of the Summer of 2024.

Our application for the next cohort is not yet open, but you can learn more through our Fellowship page.

To stay in touch, you can join our mailing list, and follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram. If you have additional questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at info@pathwavesWA.org.