Deadline: February 15, 2018
Jacobs Foundation, together with the think tank New America and the International Congress on Infant Studies (ICIS) are accepting applications for the Learning Sciences Exchange (LSX) Fellowship. The LSX aims to create a conversation between scientists, journalists, entertainers, and policy makers. This is a two-year fellowship that starts in July 2018 and ends in June 2020.
The goal of LSX is nothing short of deepening society’s understanding of child development. This unique fellowship will foster the exchange of ideas across disciplines about how to share crucial insights with the public and positively affect children ages 0-5 and the lives of their families. Fellows will work in teams of 3-4 people on cross-sector projects, visit labs and other significant sites, attend conferences across different disciplines, and work collaboratively on concrete deliverables such as blog posts and op-eds.
This fellowship will provide them the counsel and inspiration they need to reach larger audiences. Twelve fellows will be chosen, three from each of the four sectors (learning science, policy, journalism, and entertainment).
Responsibilities
Over the course of the two-year program, LSX fellows will be responsible for
- Writing a blog post to be featured on the Jacobs Foundation website, New America’s EdCentral blog, and the International Congress of Infant Studies website
- Presenting a polished LSX talk at the culmination of the fellowship in the summer of 2020. These talks (modified TED Talks) will be part of an LSX Conference that is livestreamed internationally and features top speakers on the issues that the fellows have identified.
- Finally, the LSX fellows in teams will create an oped for a major news outlet about the topic they have studied, crediting the LSX Fellowship.
Benefits
- LSX Fellows will have the unique opportunity to learn from deep discussions with each other and with experts in a cross-section of fields while simultaneously exploring exciting issues at the intersections of science, journalism, entertainment, and policy.
- Over two years, fellows will work together on projects that elevate the insights of the learning sciences for new audiences, meet face to face in at least three two-day meetings and conduct one customized site visit. The intent is to learn from other experts, share important lessons with each other about how to communicate with the public, write op-eds in teams, and advance a project related to early childhood development that would be strengthened with the infusion of ideas from talented people in other sectors.
Salary
- Each fellow will receive a $5000 stipend
- All travel costs covered for the retreats and workshops, two of which are international.
Eligibility
- Are you a scientist on the cusp of new discoveries in child development?
- Maybe you are a midcareer journalist seeking the next big story in early education?
- Could you be the television script writer or game developer who needs to better understand how children learn and develop?
- Or perhaps you are the early education policy professional invested in helping young children thrive? Apply now!
Answering “yes” to any of these questions means that you are an ideal candidate for a new cutting edge, interdisciplinary two-year fellowship called the Learning Sciences Exchange (LSX).
- The fellows hail from Europe and North America.
- The ideal LSX fellows candidate will be engaged in projects related to early child development.
- Because they are seeking applicants who have already had some experience in their respective fields and are eager to explore intersections with other fields, they expect to attract applicants who are in the middle of their careers. However, less experienced persons are also encouraged to apply if they feel comfortable enough to bring new insights back to their respective fields while also helping to advance interdisciplinary approaches to communicating and applying the science of learning.
Application
In addition to the online application, all LSX Fellowship applicants must submit:
- a short personal statements on the assets that they bring and what they hope to gain (no more than 200 words each);
- a description of a particular area of study or project that they will embark upon that would be suitable for the LSX;
- a brief description of a desired site visit
- a résumé or CV;
- a list of previous projects or published articles; and
- a short, 1-2 minute video statement on their motivation for applying.
If an applicant is selected for the short list, they will request that they submit references.
Complete the Online Application.
For more information, visit Learning Sciences Exchange Fellowship.
