At least one week leading up to the Fourth of July and even some days afterwards, the city resonates with the loud “BOOM” of illegal fireworks. Annually I become part of a sacred pact, an unspoken agreement amongst neighbors to stomach intrusive sounds and react...
Coming into the Urban Futures Lab Fellowship has been nothing but incredibly exhilarating, and mind blowing. When I first learned about Public Matters last summer when I was at a Sunday Jump open mic (which is held at the Pilipino Workers Center), I never would...
Starting Thursday, June 13, 2019, Mike and Reanne will be at the annual Americans for the Arts Convention in the Twin Cities. Mike will be talking about Urban Futures Lab and leadership opportunities for people of color in a conversation with Demone Carter, Program Manager...
All jokes aside, on Monday, April 1, 2019, Public Matters welcomed a new cohort of three Urban Futures Lab Fellows! Ashley Ajayi, Brisa Aviles and Sabrina Im leaped into Public Matters' creative civic engagement practice, including a Week 1 tour with former Fellow Shirley Ramirez in...
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...