True Blue Fellowship 2024: Mentorship And Funding For Youth-led Projects On Ocean And Climate Issues

About the True Blue Fellowship

The True Blue Fellowship, previously known as the Fellowship Grant Program, is a dedicated initiative aimed at empowering young people globally to utilize the creative arts to bring about meaningful change in their local communities. This program was initially established and is currently spearheaded by the Future Blue Youth Council (FBYC), which is a diverse collective of Bow Seat alumni. The main objective of this fellowship is to protect and preserve the ocean, waterways, and the climate through the innovative use of creativity and advocacy.

Bow Seat’s True Blue Fellowship is primarily concerned with climate change, waterways, and/or the ocean. This wide scope makes it possible to creatively address a range of environmental and social justice issues.

Benefits of the True Blue Fellowship

The True Blue Fellowship is offered to 10 youth-led projects that address ocean, waterways, and/or climate change issues through a creative arts lens. Selected Fellows will receive:

Up to USD 2,500 in funding.

Access to a community of Fellows and capacity-building programs.
Mentorship and support from the Future Blue Youth Council and Bow Seat staff.

All applicants, regardless of selection, will have access to resources to help develop grant writing, project management, and fundraising skills.

Fellowship Requirements

Projects need to:

Make use of the creative arts as your main tool for raising awareness and/or inspiring action.
Collaborate and interact with people in your neighbourhood.

Effectively influence the environment and local community.

Creative Arts in Action

Creative arts encompass a wide range of disciplines, including performing arts, visual arts, cinema, interactive media, poetry, creative writing, and more. Your project should incorporate some creative arts elements to create change. For inspiration, consider the following current grantees:

The Eco Poets: Poetry as a means of bringing attention to climate change.

The Mazingira School Drive involves community members being recruited to take part in restoration projects and using the performing arts to increase awareness of the effects of gold mining in the area.
Mindful Nature: Addressing youth mental health issues in their community by combining art therapy and nature-based therapy.

It is not necessary for you to be an accomplished artist. Think of working with your community to co-create. The creative arts can be a catalyst for change in a lot of different ways.

Eligibility Criteria

The competition is open to individuals, classes, groups, clubs, or organizations worldwide, with participants aged between 13 and 24. All applications must be submitted in English.
Applicants may be required to provide proof of age, identity, or eligibility after submitting their applications.
Location: Open to young people worldwide.

Individuals, classes, groups, clubs, or organizations are invited to participate. If participating as a group, one leader must be selected as the primary contact.
Projects must be new or emerging, with no more than 2 years since their initiation.
Projects must primarily utilize the creative arts to drive and inspire change.

Projects should aim to address issues related to the ocean, waterways, and/or climate change.
Fellows under 18 years of age must have their parent or legal guardian sign and complete the Affidavit of Eligibility/Liability Release form and, where legally required, the Publicity Release form on their behalf.

Selection Criteria

Applications will be evaluated based on:

Alignment with fellowship goals.
Demonstrated issue knowledge.
Thoughtful approach.

Realistic goals, including an appropriate budget and timeline.
Likely to result in measurable impacts.

Role Requirements

Selected Fellows will be required to:

After attempting notification for five (5) business days, have them complete, sign, and return an Affidavit of Eligibility/Liability Release and, if legal, a Publicity Release to confirm their eligibility.
Collaborate closely with Future Blue Youth Council (FBYC) mentors, Bow Seat employees, and partners. This involves scheduling at least one monthly phone call with FBYC mentors, as well as informal check-ins through an online WhatsApp chat community and emails as needed.
Submit quarterly reports, along with mid- and end-year reports that highlight accomplishments, important lessons learned, and incurred costs, on a regular basis.

Help their Future Blue Youth Council mentors by writing a blog entry about the project.
Participate in capacity-building workshops, cohort meetings every other month, and a virtual weekend orientation on Saturday, January 4, 2025.

How to Apply

All applications are done online via the link below. Note that Bow Seat and the Future Blue Youth Council reserve the right to use Fellows’ work for marketing and promotional purposes in any media. They promise to administer the Fellowship fairly, ethically, and with integrity. The deadline for applications is September 1, 2024.

Apply Now!