How does the VT Community Fellows Program work?

Participants will apply collaborative ethnographic methods and practices learned in workshops to engage in an ethical process of inquiry grounded in their own community. They will seek out and document diverse viewpoints and examine past and present efforts to address an issue. Fellows will share what they’ve learned with their community, co-create a plan to envision and enact change, and work together to realize it.

The VT Community Fellows Program is a partnership between Vermont Folklife and Conversations from the Open Road.

Who can be a Community Fellow? 

Community Fellows are Vermont residents interested in undertaking collaborative field research to address needs shared by the people and places that matter most to them. We define community as any self-identified group of people that feels a strong connection to one another. Such connections can be based on shared identity, geography, occupation and/or interests. They can be long-standing or recently formed. This program is building capacity for action-oriented field research happening within Vermont communities.

Successful applications will demonstrate the applicant's capacity to engage deeply with a community of which they are a part, and collaboratively explore a specific topic or issue over a 12-18 month period. Applicants should show an openness to having their assumptions challenged and perspectives evolve over the course of this process. 

To help make participation possible, Fellows will receive a stipend in three installments over the course of the program, and may be supported in applying for additional funds from outside sources to support their projects as well. 

What commitments are required of Fellows? 

The VT Community Fellows Program requires a minimum commitment of  12 months—approximately 20+ hours a month. We anticipate projects will require 12-18 months to complete. The program includes these four elements:

• Workshops: Fellows attend 5 half-day workshops between February and June 2025 (see dates below) plus engage in one-on-one mentoring and peer support throughout.

• Research & Fieldwork: Throughout the program fellows will use techniques learned in workshops to identify a research focus and engage in ethnographic fieldwork. Working in a supportive environment they will explore the complexities around an issue affecting their community. The time commitment required for fieldwork will vary with each project. Fellows can anticipate 15+ hours each month. 

• Creating and Carrying out an Action Plan:  During the first 6 months of the process,  fellows will share what they’ve learned with their community, solicit and incorporate feedback. They will then co-create a plan to envision and enact change, and work together to realize it.

• Public Exhibit and Presentation: Program staff will coordinate a final exhibit, and invite Fellows to participate in a public showcase sharing about their 12-18 month process of collaborative research with their communities.