FAO Schwarz Fellowship at Trust for Public Land

Fellowship Description:

The FAO Schwarz Fellow has two components—engagement in direct service as part of our Community School Yard programming, and, second, playing a leadership role in strengthening and expanding our volunteer program.

ABOUT THE TRUST FOR PUBLIC LAND FELLOWSHIP IN PHILADELPHIA

The FAO Schwarz Fellowship is an intensive, transformative two-year experience in the world of social impact. Fellows work at leading nonprofit organizations in Boston, New York City and Philadelphia. Each organization is deeply valued in their communities and has a strong record of delivering high-quality services that address critical issues of social inequity and producing consistent results. The Fellowship is a two-year commitment that pays $45,000 in year one (includes $2,000 start of Fellowship bonus) and $50,000 in year two (includes $3,000 end of Fellowship bonus).

DIRECT SERVICE

The FAO Schwarz Fellow will support stewardship and engagement programming across all TPL Community Schoolyards in Philadelphia in direct service to and with the young people, their families, and residents who use them every day.

The Fellow will:

• Engage with our diverse community of principals, teachers, students, families, and neighbors, by attending meetings, in-school events, resource fairs, etc. to strengthen our support these important relationships. Be the TPL representative at these events and share your insights and observations with your team.

• Assist in the design and implementation of environmental education activities and stewardship projects at Philadelphia Community Schoolyard sites.

• Provide guidance/technical assistance and occasionally hands-on support for school or community-led stewardship engagements and site activations.

• Create a bi-monthly community newsletter with curated partner resources and stewardship updates.

• Manage the TPL annual mini-grants program which funds partners’ stewardship projects, including distributing the application, reviewing and selecting projects, and dispersing funds.

PROJECT WORK

The FAO Schwarz Fellow will create and lead meaningful volunteer engagement opportunities, establish volunteer “best practices” and systems, and create volunteer resources for schoolyard stewardship partners across Philadelphia.

The Fellow will:

• Develop an annual plan for TPL-led volunteer events (e.g. schoolyard cleanups, partner trainings, convenings, etc.) at TPL sites across the city. Ensure these events are specifically designed for energizing and connecting our growing network of schoolyard community partners with their peers at different locations.

• Work with the TPL philanthropy staff to design, implement, and lead volunteer engagement events for donors as needed.

• Assess needs and develop/educational schoolyard stewardship materials to support volunteers in their stewardship projects.

• Play a leadership role in the development of a management framework for tracking volunteer event outcomes. The framework may include creating reporting tools for attendance data, key metrics, etc.), a framework for volunteer event management (e.g. securing site clearance, procuring event materials and supplies, day-of support and event coordination, etc.), and surveys or other engagement tools to inform the design of TPL’s volunteer experiences.

TYPICAL WORK SCHEDULE

The Fellow will work Monday-Friday, 9-5 PM. The working location will be hybrid, with the Fellow expected to be in person 2-3 days per week at TPL’s Philadelphia office and 20%-30% of their week will be spent in the field. There will be opportunities to work from home (~ 1-2 days/week), but this will depend on the field time required.

HOW TO APPLY

• Applicants must be college seniors at accredited four-year colleges or universities at the time of application and be eligible to work in the United States for the duration of the two-year Fellowship.
• For more about what we are seeking, please see What We’re Looking For. Please visit our website for more information about the new positions.
• To apply, visit our website where you’ll see detailed instructions. You will be asked to answer several short questions and to upload your resume and a cover letter by February 1, 2025 9:00 pm ET. You may apply to more than one host, but must submit a different application for each host you’re applying to.
• In your letter, please describe your interest in working at the host organization of your choice, and your responses to the following questions:

The deadline to apply is February 1, 2025 at 9:00 pm ET. Host organizations will select applicants for interviews and make their decisions by the end of April 2025. Fellowships begin in the summer of 2025.