FAQs for JADE Fellowship

What is the time commitment?

As stated in the application, the fellowship is from June 16, 2025 – August 5, 2025 – 10-15 hour/week JADE Fellows Activities (break week of June 30-July 4, 2025).  The following dates and times are set with cohort programming (all 6 JADE Fellows together, along with DesignPhiladelphia staff). However, we estimate the time commitment to be 10-15 hours per week based on other activities, site visits, and meetings we set up for the individual fellows and the cohort. In your application, we are asking who you would like to meet, what you are interested in, etc. This information will be used to create a customized experience for each fellow. In addition to working together and receiving leadership training around cultural competency building strategies – we are invested in supporting the individual goals of each fellow. Any hours outside of the below dates and time frames will be decided WITH each fellow, as their schedule allows. Attendance at the below dates and times are mandatory, unless student is unwell. Virtual participation will be granted only in very rare and specific circumstances. 

What is the capstone project?

The capstone project will happen during the academic year. It could be an event, a series of events, an exhibition, a talk, a service project, an advisory committee – whatever the individual fellow and/or the collective group decides will be a significant initiative to improve cultural competency on their individual and/or collective campuses/design programs. Students will be receiving training and leadership development activities precisely to inform what this is and what the intended outcomes for each “project” could be. This is not an architecture or design project per se – it’s a project to advance the goals of this fellowship – make design school feel like a place where everyone feels supported and like they belong.

What can I spend the $10,000 fellowship award on?

This is an award and is not restricted in how you spend it. The award will not be used for the capstone project. We will discuss capstone project expenses during the planning phase over the course of the fellowship.

Are international students eligible?

 International students are eligible, provided they identify as Black or Latinx. The only eligibility category that is restricted is Indigenous populations to the territories and land in the North American continent.

What are the activities/obligations during the 2025-26 Academic Year?

Outside of the capstone projects that each student identifies, below are the commitments to DesignPhiladelphia during the academic year following their summer fellowship.

September 2025 – April 2026 – Monthly JADE Fellows Check in provide event support

October 10, 2025 - Design College Student Reception/Party during DesignPhiladelphia (JADE Capstone Projects could be incorporated into this event).