Fellowship for Change in Design
A paid, two-year long, full-time position to promote and support emerging designers from historically marginalized communities.
What's the Fellowship?
The Fellowship is a paid, year-long, full-time, training program designed to promote and support individuals in gaining the skills, contacts, and experience to help them excel in their design careers. We created the fellowship to leverage CUP’s unique position at the confluence of design and social justice to promote change in the design fields.
What does the Fellow do?
The Fellow works at CUP full-time, for a year, collaborating on our community-engaged design projects as part of the CUP team, working as an in-house designer, and participating in mentorship opportunities. The Fellow will work on a broad range of CUP projects, providing design and organizational support for our Youth Education and Community Education programs.
Are there benefits?
The Fellow receives a full-time salary. We also provide health insurance benefits, a flexible leave policy, a professional development budget, mentorship opportunities, and a reasonable work schedule that allows our staff to have a healthy life both inside and outside of work.
Who mentors the Fellow?
The Fellow receives two kinds of mentorship opportunities to learn more about the field, gain access to design leaders, and ask questions about career development. The first is mentorship from the CUP staff in the methods and processes we use to achieve our mission. The second mentorship opportunity will be through a quarterly series of one-on-one mentoring sessions with four prominent designers, from a variety of practices. The Fellow will have the opportunity to help select their mentors.
"The Fellowship has been a skill-building tool for my design practice. But what's really been a highlight is working for an organization where collaboration is the standard! This Fellowship has shown me there's a place in this world where graphic design can help people."
Elijah Bobo, 2019 Fellow for Change in Design
Who Should Apply?
Designers who have a background in design, particularly graphic, communication, or UI design, and who identify as members of communities that have been historically marginalized in the design professions, including but not limited to people of color; people from low-income, LGBTQ, or immigrant communities; formerly incarcerated people; and others are invited to apply.
Is a design degree required?
This is a good position for a recent graduate from a design program. But we recognize that individuals with potential to become great designers may come from a broader range of experiences. Therefore, we do not require a degree in a design field (or any degree at all).
Who selects the Fellows?
Our jury is made up of design industry professionals, as well as the most recent Fellow for Change in Design. This year's jury is:
Application Guidelines
Fellowship Application