InterAction Institute | Fellowship Application
About Our Institute

We are excited to launch our first InterAction Summer Institute for Young Black Indigenous and People of Color (YBIPOC) on May 19-23, 2020! The Institute will take place on the campus of Saint Mary’s College in South Bend, IN.

The InterAction Summer Institute will be a nurturing space and community to intentionally invest in our counter-narratives as Young People of Color for our own healing and the advancement of racial justice. In order to challenge systems of oppression, it is imperative that we dismantle the stories and narratives that perpetuate violence, hatred, and injustice towards ourselves and others. Therefore, we need to invest in YBIPOC to tell our stories, our counter-narratives, so that they may write themselves into the future and the present. We aim to cultivate the next generation of young Black, Indigenous, People of Color to become flourishing intersectional racial justice leaders, writers, and thinkers.

We will gather 10-15 young people from the Midwest region to attend the inaugural Institute. This Institute is perfect for YBIPOC who are passionate about decolonizing and reconstructing their own narratives; engaging in writing practices, and other exercises to develop their counter-narratives; learning from and within in a diverse and intersectional YBIPOC community; applying counter-narrative strategies to organizing, activism, art, writing, healing, and/or education.


Fellowship Eligibility

You should apply to become an InterAction Fellow if you:

^Identify as either Black, Indigenous, Asian, Pacific Islander, Latinx, and/or Multiracial.
^Are between the ages of 18-26.
^Live, work or reside in the following cities or regions: Chicago, South Bend (Priority). Or Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri.
^Have an interest or experience in writing, sharing, and telling your own story through creative writing, journalism, poetry, and etc. as strategies for advancing racial justice and equity.
^Have a desire to build a community with other young BIPOC at the Institute and beyond.
Be able to attend the full program.

Deadline

The application deadline has been extended from March 15th to March 25, Wednesday at Noon EST.

Questions

If you have any questions about the Institute, please contact our Creative Director Taeyin (they/them) at taeyin@interactioninc.org. We look forward to your applications! Thank you!

In Community,

InterAction Team :)
www.interactioninc.org

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Building Blocks of the Institute
Our Institute led by InterAction staff and partners will be grounded in the following core areas. These core frameworks are meant to create an intentional space for growth, joy, and resistance. Over the course of five days, we will have many opportunities to listen and learn from each other, the space around us, and flexible time to meet our needs. The Institute is the starting point for what will be an ongoing learning community for the Summer and Fall of 2020. The community will be a supportive space as you continue to develop and amplify your counter-narratives for racial justice.

Communal Living
- Fellows are invited to come together to model and practice radical equity within an intentional community.

Grounding in Our History
- Fellows will learn from InterAction staff and one another about racial justice history, intersectionality, and feminist values.

Writing Ourselves into Our Past, Present & Future
-Fellows will work on sculpting their counter-narratives so that we can write ourselves into existence.

Dreaming
- Fellows will envision our collective liberation and write ourselves into our future.

Healing & Restoring
-Fellows will connect to the giving and abundance of nature and community. In this process, we will engage our discomfort in order to grow.

Logistics of the Institute
Program Cost

Accepted fellows will be required to pay a registration fee. The suggested registration fee is based on a sliding scale. To see the sliding scale registration and total cost of the program, please check our website: interactioninc.org/institute.

If the registration cost is still prohibitive, additional scholarships are available to all participants who are in need. Please let us know in the application if you would like to request a scholarship or would like support in garnering funds to cover the program cost. Note that the cost of the program does not include travel to and from the Institute which will take place in Saint Mary's College in South Bend, Indiana, approximately 90 miles outside of Chicago.


Application Process

This application takes around 45-60 minutes. Please take your time with it :)

One of the most important parts of the application is the essay questions. Essay questions help us gain a deeper insight into your view and commitment. We recommend that you draft and edit in a different document before starting the application:

+What is your counter-narrative that you have been writing, exploring, or wanting to explore at the Institute? (In minimum 350 words and maximum of 700 words, please elaborate on your personal story that engages in your understanding of your intersectional racial/ethnic identity and experience.)

+What do you know about your family history or family ancestry? How do you relate to the history you know and don't know? (In a maximum of 500 words, please connect your personal story to that of your chosen/biological/adopted family and society's history.)

+Why do you desire to be a part of the InterAction Institute? (In a maximum of 500 words, please help us understand why you would be our ideal candidate as we look to invest in the next generation of intersectional racial justice leaders, thinkers, and writers.)



Second Round

Applicants who are selected for the second round will go onto video interviews. Video interviews will start the earliest in March.

Name (First & Last Name / Nickname) *
Email *
Phone Number *
Pronouns *
Required
What is your racial/ethnic identity? Please elaborate. *
What is your gender identity? *
Birthday (Month / Day / Year) *
Please list all your affiliations (school, workplace, orgs, etc.). *
Home Address (Street Address, City, State, Zip) *
What city, state are you based in? *
Socioeconomic Status - My family and I have: *
How much are you able to contribute toward the program cost? (Please refer to the sliding scale registration fee in www.interactioninc.org ) *
Do you have access to financial resources and grants to help you cover the program cost through your college or work? *
Are you affiliated with any of the following universities?
Dietary Restrictions *
What are your accessibility needs?
Please elaborate on the ways your various social privileges work to shape your life. (Please do not list your privileges. Instead, examine how they amplify and intertwine. Please engage in gender, sexual orientation, class, immigration/citizenship status, family education level, skin tone, etc.)   *
How did you learn about the InterAction Institute? *
If you are willing to carpool with another fellow, please provide where you will be departing from.
Do you need assistance with gas money? (Please note that we do not assist with flight travels.) *
Are you able to be present for the whole Institute starting 9 am EST May 19 to 6pm EST on May 23, 2020? *
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