The Fellowship

The Apni Shala Fellowship: Rethink education, Rediscover yourself

Do you think you're ready to take on a challenge? Are you ready to make schools a safer and more caring space for children? Are you ready to delve inwards and embark on a journey to discover your authentic self?

Read on.

About the Fellowship

Consider these facts about the Indian education system:

60% students experience medium to high levels of stress and anxiety in schools
Many students drop out of school due to bullying, discrimination, disengagement, and mental well-being related issues at home and/or in their school
One student commits suicide every hour

Grim situation for our children? These statistics tell us that our schools need to be safer and more caring spaces that have a robust framework for social and emotional learning (SEL) and more wholesome education.

The Apni Shala Fellowship is a one-year full-time, paid fellowship program where young people actively learn skills and on-field experience to facilitate social emotional learning (SEL) programs for children in public schools. This is India's first SEL-focussed fellowship program, designed to create an ever-widening circle of caring, compassionate youth inspired to integrate mental wellbeing education in schools, while growing to be more reflective, compassionate and empowered individuals themselves.

Fellowship 2020:
Applications Open 1st Dec 2019!

GOALS OF THE FELLOWSHIP

1. Connect passionate young people with the school community and bring social emotional learning programs to schools in India.

2. Be a platform for young people aspiring to be educators, counsellors, and facilitators to build skills and on-field experience to become our country’s advocates for mental wellbeing of children.

3. Give youth the platform to begin a journey of self-growth, deep reflection and unlearning to live more empowered lives

the fellowship journey and roadmap

Apni Shala Fellows are the frontrunners of the mental wellbeing and
education movement we support. This is what your journey as a Fellow during a one-year period will look like:

Participate in a rigorous orientation and reflection programme that helps you question your ideas about education and what it should be
Engage in weekly learning and training workshops where you learn the skills to facilitate social emotional learning programs with children, parents and educators
Facilitate social emotional learning workshops with groups of 25 children in public schools. These schools are often accessed by children from low-income communities
Facilitate interactive workshops with parents, school teachers, headmasters and the community itself
Develop and lead SEL campaigns and a Field Action Project that will explore issues related to social emotional learning through community research and school-wide promotion
Graduate from the Fellowship with the potential to join Apni Shala's core team in a new role

Opportunities FOR FELLOWS

Develop a deeper understanding of mental health, wellbeing and unpack the social emotional learning landscape in the Indian education system
Develop skills as a facilitator
Learn to use educational and therapeutic tools such as drama, art, games and storytelling
Get hands-on experience of engaging multiple stakeholders in a school setting, and the managers and coordinators working in communities
Build the skills to design and deliver curriculum for social emotional competency development
Build your own competencies in the areas of leadership, problem solving and critical thinking skills
Become part of a dynamic and professional learning community that provides exposure to emerging trends and explore issues in the mental health and education sector
Join an ecosystem that supports change in the contemporary medium of education
Earn an allowance of Rs.17,000 per month
Become a certified Apni Shala Fellow on completion of the fellowship
Gain the chance of working in a full-time position with Apni Shala, post the Fellowship

impact you will make

Provide over 350 hours of social-emotional learning opportunity to over
300 students
Create spaces for children for free and open expression of thought on personal and societal issues through your sessions
Create awareness about the social-emotional needs of children with key
stakeholders in children's lives
Influence the way schools think about education and mental health

Eligibility

Have one of the following:
- Graduate degree in psychology, sociology, education or similar programs OR
- At least six months volunteering/working experience with some form of
  facilitation in a formal setting with children / adolescents with graduation in any discipline
Be fluent in reading, writing and speaking either Hindi, Marathi, or English
Have excellent communication skills
Have experience of leadership in any capacity
Be willing to commit one year (starting any time after 1st June) to the fellowship, working in Mumbai’s municipal schools
Be willing to work with children, teachers, parents, and other
school stakeholders

application process

Step 1- Applications will open on 1st Dec. 2019 Applicants will be required to fill in the Fellowship Application form.

Step 2 - Shortlisted candidates will be invited for the 1st round of personal interviews to the Apni Shala office. In case the applicant is not in Mumbai, this round may also happen online (must have skype/google hangout option)

Step 3 - Shortlisted candidates will be invited for a demo facilitation session and the 2nd round of personal interviews (this will happen in Mumbai)

Step 4 – Final candidates selected for the Fellowship will be announced

Note: Applications will be considered only after submission of the online application form. CVs sent to the organizations contact address will not be considered.

Apply Now