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.

Thank you to all those who applied to the Fellowship 2020/21! Applications closed on 22nd March 2020 and we are currently not accepting any new applications.

Fellowship applications for 2022 will open end of 2021. Check back then!
​Or explore other work opportunities.

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 end of the calendar year.    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.

Hear from the Fellows:
​Ashok Yadav (2018 Fellow)

Hear from the Fellows:
​Preeti Baghel (2018 Fellow)

​Hear from the Fellows:
​Shahbaan Shah (2018 Fellow)