Tomorrow Builders Fellowship

Geographic Scope: St. Louis city and county

Focus Areas:

• Early childhood education (ECE) system redesign
• Systems design and policy change
• Leadership development
• Community organizing

Program Details:

• Duration: 2 years
• Time Commitment: Part-time (not full-time); minimum monthly in-person meetings plus optional virtual components
• Cohort Structure: Diverse group of fellows and stakeholders
• Year 1 Focus: Learning tools, know-how, and building networks for systems change
• Year 2 Focus: Implementation and tangible policy/systems change
• Provided Support: Food and childcare provided free of charge; optional travel and training components offered at no cost

Eligibility Requirements:

• Residents of St. Louis city or county
• Passionate about meaningful difference-making, especially for communities harmed by prejudice and poverty
• Focus on issues affecting children
• Strong communicators (writers, social media influencers, etc.)
• Understanding of systemic inequities
• Action-oriented and creative thinkers
• Team players with diverse perspective consideration

Compensation:

• Fellows receive a stipend
• Access to skill-building, networking, and leadership opportunities

Learning Components:

• Systems design (using systems dynamics approach)
• Policy
• Leadership & networking
• Early childhood education

Application Process

1. Submit Application
   • Five short "essay" questions
   • Applicants may submit creative responses (audio or video clips)
   • Emphasis on authenticity and thoughtful responses
   • Applications open and submit through online portal
2. Timeline
   • Applications close: January 13th (year of application)
   • Finalist notifications: by January 20th
   • In-person or phone interviews: January 21st - February 10th
   • Final selections: by February 17th
   • Fellowship launch: March 1st
3. Required Materials
   • Responses to five short-essay questions
   • Optional: Audio or video supplements to answers
4. Selection Process
   • Applications reviewed
   • Finalists selected for interviews
   • Interviews conducted (in-person or phone)
   • Final cohort selected
5. Alternative
   • Nominate a friend option available