The Call for Fellows is now closed. Thanks to all who applied! ****** Public Matters is seeking Fellows for its Urban Futures Lab Program. The Lab is a two-year paid fellowship training and mentorship program geared towards young adults of color ages 18-26 from under-resourced communities in...
On Wednesday, December 5, 2018, members of the Urban Futures Lab family gathered to celebrate the end the fellowship for Andy Alvarez, Christopher Barahona, Shirley Ramirez and Omar Vargas. Honoring their two years of hard work, a short program took place. It included the screening...
A small selection of images of Urban Futures Lab Fellows Andy Alvarez, Chris Barahona, Shirley Ramirez, and Omar Vargas during the fellowship – participating in learning modules, facilitating Supper Clubs, and and leading project-based work for Greetings from East L.A., Hidden Hi Fi, Pedal2Parks, and...
On Tuesday, October 24, 2017, our Urban Futures Lab Fellows hosted a "Happy Hour" event where they reflected on their first year and shared their ambitions and dreams for the future. Fellows created a six-word story, an aspirational job description honing in on the type of...
ASPIRATIONS: From Purpose to Action /// Urban Futures Lab Module 6 began in September 2017 – the mid-point of the two-year arc of the fellowship. As an inflection point, the Module asked the Fellows to reflect on their first year, reconsider their professional interests and goals, and...
By: Omar Vargas // With each module, Fellows dig into readings, exercises, conversations, and reflections around a theme. The focus of Module 5 was Leadership. It was 2 in the morning and I had just come back from a concert. Exhausted, I sat on the closest sofa I...
By: Andy Alvarez // With each module, Fellows dig into readings, exercises, conversations, and reflections around a theme. The focus of Module 5 was Leadership. I have always found community engagement to be a tough thing to do. I grew up in East LA, a community that is often...
By: Christopher Barahona // With each module, Fellows dig into readings, exercises, conversations, and reflections around a theme. The focus of Module 5 was Leadership. I’m always the mediator in my family and all social groups. What I mean by that is that most people in my life tend...
By: Shirley Ramirez // With each module, Fellows dig into readings, exercises, conversations, and reflections around a theme. The focus of Module 5 was Leadership. To just pick up the phone and call someone is a daunting task. I have to continuously recite what I’m going to say...
LEADERSHIP: Mapping Values, Staying on “the Balcony”, Leading with Awareness /// How do our values influence the choices we make? How do we align our goals and the goals of others? How do we understand how civic initiatives connect with community interests? With our daily lives? How...