CALLING EVERYONE WHO CARES ABOUT DIGITAL THRIVING!
- Are you a researcher, educator, podcaster, artist, or practitioner driven by a passion for empowering youth and society to thrive in our digital world? The Center for Digital Thriving wants to hear from you!
- We are now accepting applications for our inaugural Digital Thriving Fellows program for the 2024 – 2025 academic year. As a Fellow, you’ll join a supportive community of collaborators from a range of disciplines, backgrounds, and creative pursuits. Together, we’ll be exploring ways to foster digital agency through youth-centered, equity-focused, critically optimistic work.
- If you’re actively working on ideas, research, or projects that can help young people — and all of us — thrive in a world of tech, we strongly encourage you to apply. Your unique perspective and contributions could play a crucial role in shaping a future where young people thrive, however technology fits into their lives.
COME WORK ALONGSIDE US!
We love our work AND we know that it’s just one piece of a bigger puzzle. Getting to the future we want requires an “all hands on deck” approach. The Center for Digital Thriving — and this Fellows program — is catalyzed by generous founding grants from the Susan Crown Exchange and Pivotal Ventures, a Melinda French Gates Company.
We’re launching this program in order to:
- Build a community of practice and mutual support
- Incubate new ideas, practices, and tools
- Support relevant work on emerging topics of relevance to thriving in a tech-rich world
Who should apply?
We warmly welcome applications from U.S.-based researchers, K-12 educators, designers, policymakers, artists, community leaders, creators, and other relevant experts who have a demonstrated history, interest, and passion for advancing thriving in a technology-filled world.
What kind of support?
We are offering two kinds of fellowships:
- Funded fellowships: Funded Fellows will each receive $25k to support expenses directly related to their fellowship project (e.g., time on your project, supplies, travel and registration fees for conferences/events, etc.)
- Externally-funded fellowships: Applicants for these fellowships have their own funding for direct project support; these fellowships provide an opportunity to be part of a supportive intellectual community as you carry out your project.
- We acknowledge that these fellowships are not a full-time role; rather, we anticipate that most Fellows will maintain other employment while doing the fellowship.
What will it look like?
Fellows will carry out their projects as part of the Center for Digital Thriving community of research and innovation. Fellows will share and receive support from other Fellows (fellow Fellows, if you will 😉) and from Center team members. Specific support structures and benefits include:
- Periodic (monthly or quarterly) participation in Center-wide meetings about ongoing strands of research and resource development
- Quarterly Fellows seminars to incubate ideas and discuss projects in progress with fellows cohort, the Center research team, and guests with relevant expertise
- Opportunities to contribute relevant expertise to the Center’s ongoing research and resource development work
- Communications support: As desired, the work of the Fellows will be featured in Center communications (social media, e-newsletters, website)
- Project Zero engagement: All Fellows are Invited to engage in PZ Community meetings and other PZ staff events (participation is optional)
- Access to shared office space at Project Zero when in Cambridge
- Harvard Libraries access
What values and principles will guide my experience?
- “Together we are more” is a foundational principle for the Center’s team. This principle captures our belief that our work is strengthened when we share it with others, collaborate, welcome feedback, and bring diverse perspectives to bear. Virtual convenings with the Fellows cohort and Center team members will be a regular venue for such shared experiences. Fellows will also be expected to participate in in-person events via two trips to Harvard during their fellowship year.
- “Making our thinking visible” is a part of how we work — and aspire to work. To that end, Fellows are expected to make their work-in-progress visible to others via at least one public presentation to a key audience at a relevant venue (e.g., K12 school, university, professional conference, tech company) during their fellowship term.
- Creating content and resources that are “actually helpful” is one of our strategic pillars. Fellows are expected to develop at least one translational, public-facing resource or “product” (e.g., publishable report/paper, curriculum/course, publication, podcast, campaign, design framework, app, convening, curriculum/course module, youth-centered program) based on their project.
- “Be accountable. Give grace” is another Center guiding principle. Fellows will share a brief progress report roughly at the midpoint and conclusion of their fellowship, as well as one year later. We know that projects evolve and ideas change as the world and technologies continue to evolve. Our vision is to give grace with whatever you initially propose: our fellowships are an investment in you as a changemaker for digital thriving.
When and where?
Fellowships will run from Sept 1, 2024 – May 31, 2025. Fellows can carry out their projects remotely, but will be required to attend 1 – 2 in-person convenings in Cambridge, MA during their fellowship term (travel to Harvard will be funded by the Center). Additionally, Fellows will be encouraged to participate in future convenings beyond their fellowship term.
TIMELINE
- Applications due May 30
- Decisions June 30
- Fellowship begins Sept 1, 2024
How To Apply
Applications will be accepted until Wednesday, May 30 at 11:59 pm Eastern Time. Materials should be sent by email to digitalthriving@gse.harvard.edu.
CRITERIA FOR FELLOW SECTION INCLUDE:
- Applicant’s work aligns with the Center’s guiding values and approaches: youth-centered, equity-focused, and/or embodies critical optimism about tech
- Areas of expertise and interests complement and extend beyond those of the Center’s current research and resources (see digitalthriving.gse.harvard.edu).
- Engaged with emerging topics of relevance for thriving in a tech-filled world (e.g., generative AI, violent content exposure, social comparison, grief, play, joy, belonging, connection, agency)
- Fellows’ individual identities enrich diversity of perspectives at the Center and/or represent identities beyond those of the Center’s core team
REQUIREMENTS
- A current resume or C.V.
- A personal statement that responds to the following three questions. Your statement can take the form of a written statement OR a short video. Regardless of format, responses to each question should be approximately 200-500 (text or spoken) words; the personal statement should not exceed 2000 words total.
- Describe your professional background and expertise. Tell us about how your personal background and identities inform your work.
- Describe the project you propose to carry out during a fellowship year.
- Outline the approach you will take or methods you will use to complete the proposed project.
- Explain who your work serves or will serve.
- Describe your hoped-for impact and what success might look like.
- Why is the Center for Digital Thriving the right place for you to do this work? Please share thoughts on how your work connects with the Center for Digital Thriving’s mission, guiding values, and/or approaches.
- Please attach 1 – 3 work samples that are relevant to the proposed project and demonstrate your strengths, values, and the essence of your work. Samples might include written work (e.g., articles, op-eds), a podcast, a public presentation, art work, resource or tool.
frequently asked questions
We appreciate the many questions that have rolled in regarding our Digital Thriving Fellows Program. We created this FAQ to respond to common questions. If your specific question is not answered below, feel free to add it to this form.
First, it’s important to note that we are a very new Center and that this is a brand new Fellows program! We expect to learn a lot across our inaugural year. There’s definitely a spirit of building the ship as we sail it and leaning into learning. We anticipate that the Fellows program scope and eligibility criteria will evolve in new directions after this inaugural year. Thank you for your patience as we learn and grow.
Without further ado, here are our current responses to frequently asked questions:
Fellows Cohort
How large will the Fellows cohort be?
We expect that our inaugural cohort will include up to 3 – 4 Fellows (including 2 – 3 funded Fellows and 1 – 2 additional Fellows who bring their own funding).
Eligibility
Are students eligible to apply?
Individuals who are current, full-time students at the undergraduate or graduate levels are not eligible to apply at this time. Part-time students may be eligible, depending on the circumstances; please reach out for more information.
Can individuals based outside the U.S. participate?
We have aspirations to expand the program in the future but, at this time, the program is limited to U.S. residents and projects based in the U.S.
Does the fellowship support projects done outside of the U.S.? (I will be based in the U.S. but would like to work internationally.)
At this time, the program is limited to projects being carried out in the U.S.
Will eligibility for the program be expanded to those outside of the U.S. in the future?
Expansion of the program to those outside the U.S. is definitely an aspiration. At this time, we cannot be definitive about if or when this aspiration will be realized.
Does the fellowship program fill the “working” requirement for Optional Practical Training (OPT)? I have an F-1 visa extension for one year; am I eligible for the fellowship?
The program as it is currently conceived would not fulfill the working requirement for an OPT.
If I’m not currently eligible, how can I connect with the Center for Digital Thriving?
We host Open Lab meetings several times a semester where we invite people to engage directly and talk more about our active projects – you can sign-up here for our newsletter where we share Open Lab dates and times.
Our team is conducting listening sessions right now to learn more about how people think about digital thriving in their own lives and work, as well as how we can support it. These sessions are part of an active research project, so we’d love to invite your perspective if it’s of interest. These sessions are not designed to start collaborations or to share more about the Center specifically. You can learn more about the listening tour on our website, or sign up here.
We periodically post opportunities for regular staff positions with the Center. We post these opportunities on the Harvard employment site and spread the word via our LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter/X accounts.
Expectations of Fellows
What is the expected time commitment for Fellows?
We expect that Fellows will allocate meaningful time to their projects across the fellowship year. We won’t be setting a specific expectation in terms of hours per week. We recommend that Fellows think about this as part-time work that could be balanced with another role (e.g., part-time employee at an organization).
In terms of meeting expectations, we expect Fellows to:
- Participate in remote meetings with the Center team and Fellows cohort at least once a month.
- Travel to Cambridge 1 – 2 times during their fellowship term for in-person convenings (2-3 days in length). We expect that the first convening will be in the fall of 2024 (likely October).
What are the expectations for deliverables?
Fellows are expected to:
- Make their work-in-progress visible to others via at least one public presentation to a key audience at a relevant venue (e.g., K-12 school, university, professional conference, tech company) during their fellowship term.
- Develop at least one translational, public-facing resource or “product” (e.g., publishable report/paper, curriculum/course, publication, podcast, campaign, design framework, app, convening, curriculum/course module, youth-centered program) based on their project.
- Share progress reports roughly at the midpoint and conclusion of their fellowship, as well as one year later.
About the Selection Criteria & Application
How will you assess applications?
Four criteria will guide our initial review of applications:
- Work is *youth-centered, equity-focused, and/or embodies critical optimism about tech
- Addresses emerging topics of relevance for digital thriving (e.g., generative AI, violent content exposure, social comparison, grief, play, joy, belonging, connection, agency)
- Fellows’ identities enrich Center diversity
- Topics complement & extend the *current work being carried out at the Center for Digital Thriving
*See further details below.
What do you mean by youth-centered work?
By youth-centered, we mean that the proposed project has relevance for and/or is aimed at supporting young people. (This plays out in our work as we partner with young people on an ongoing basis in our research and co-design activities.)
What age range do you have in mind for what constitutes youth?
From birth through young adulthood (ages 0 – 20s).
What do you mean by equity-focused work?
Work that is carried out with and for groups that have been historically underrepresented or systematically ignored. (This plays out in our own work as we carry out our research and co-design activities with youth from different contexts, backgrounds, and identities — paying special attention to the perspectives of youth with distinct strengths and vulnerabilities, including histories of marginalization.)
What do you mean by critical optimism?
This term reflects the belief that:
- There are benefits as well as harms associated with a tech-filled world that require critical attention on the part of researchers, educators, policymakers, tech designers, and others.
- We see power in solutions-minded, future-oriented, & genuinely hopeful approaches to technology and youth well-being.
What is the current work underway at the Center for Digital Thriving?
Our current work includes both research and resource development activities.
On the research side, we are conducting a listening tour about digital thriving and a study about adolescents’ perspectives on “grinds,” burnout, & protective practices. We are also directly supporting research being led by colleagues, including a) a study of the impacts for youth well-being of new state legislation restricting social media access and b) a randomized controlled trial of the impact of digital well-being resources. We have a project on youth and generative AI in its beginning stages, too.
On the resource development side, our team is developing an educator professional development course, designing new Digital Well-Being resources for parents and for schools (with Common Sense Education), and co-developing a Youth Co-Interpretation Methods Playbook (in collaboration with Hope Lab and Character Lab). Across our core work, we collaborate with youth, educators, clinical psychologists, and other practitioners whose work is relevant to the mission of thriving in a tech-filled world.
Do you have a preference on the stage of a project or product (e.g., early/idea stage vs. building on an existing project/product) that a Fellowship would support?
We don’t have a preference at this point!
Can the application be hybrid video-written, i.e., some of the answers written and others answers in video?
Yes.
Who should I contact with more specific questions about my eligibility or application?
Please email us with more specific questions at digitalthriving@gse.harvard.edu.
We appreciate the many questions that have rolled in regarding our Fellows Program. We created a FAQ to respond to common questions. If your specific question is not answered, feel free to ask it using this form.