Visionary Heritage Fellowship Program

The Visionary Heritage Fellowship Program

Information and Application Materials

The National Visionary Leadership Project

1218 16th Street, NW

Washington DC, 20036

(202) 331-2700

VISIONARY HERITAGE FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM

The National Visionary Leadership Project (NVLP) is a multi-tiered, intergenerational program, working to help create the leaders of tomorrow, by capturing and preserving the wisdom of living African American elders, the Visionaries, who have significantly shaped this country’s past. NVLP’s commitment to a consistently intergenerational approach is mirrored in its student program,the Visionary Heritage Fellowship Program.

Program Overview

The Visionary Heritage Fellowship Program (VHFP) offers a unique opportunity for 30 talented college students selected annually from partnering institutions, to learn from national and local Visionaries through direct dialogue, informal mentorship, and video documentation.

As part of the application process, each student must identify an elder from his or her home communitywhose life the student wants to document as a Local Visionary. Visionaries must be over the age of 70, and have made a significant contribution in their field, and in the African American community. (Please see included information on how to select a Local Visionary in the application materials.)

NVLP partners with the student’s educational institution to give each Fellow the academic resources, faculty supervision and training to do an extensive research project, including a videotaped biographical interview of their chosen elder. The completed student interviews of the Local Visionary Elders are added to the NVLP web archive of National Visionary Elders.

This program offers chosen Fellows the opportunity to learn the wisdom of their elders, while gaining valuable research and interviewing skills in the process. The VHFP enables the crucial exchange of ideas, experiences, and knowledge between elders and young people, and offers a solution to the growing need for an on-going, intergenerational dialogue.

Through this program, student Fellows:

Receive full academic credit for their work, carried out as an independent study course;

Become eligible for scholarship awards given to students creating the top 3 projects;

Attend a totally subsidized training and leadership development conference for Fellowsin Washington, DC;

Become young historians of the life experiences and oral histories of African American elders in their community;

Gain expertise in all aspects of recording oral histories, including skills in researching, interviewing, and taping;

Develop a greater understanding of the social/historical/political/economic contexts in which their elders lived;

Increase their personal awareness of the barriers elders have faced, and the strategies they used to overcome these barriers;

Contribute to a permanent, web-based, publicly accessible archive of African American history.

Visionary Heritage Fellows Conference

All selected Fellows attend a weeklong conference held June 1-7th 2003 in Washington, DC at Howard University. During this annual training and leadership development event, Fellows receive the knowledge and skills necessary to meet the objectives of the program. The conference will include:

Oral history research training
Discussion sessions with National Visionaries
Seminars on leadership development
A multi-group project in video biography production
A viewing of taped excerpts from last year’s scholarship winners

All new Fellows must attend the conference; NVLP underwrites all of their expenses including transportation, materials, accommodations, and meals.

The Visual Public History Course

This is an accredited, faculty-supervised program, and Fellows will receive academic credit for completing their projects. NVLP will provide each participating institution with the production equipment and support for Fellows for the duration of the program period. The faculty advisor at each partnering institution will advise students on how to register for this program in the Fall, 2003.

During the summer months, Fellows are encouraged to begin the work involved in documenting the lives of their chosen Visionaries. This work includes gaining knowledge about oral history, beginning the background research on their Visionary, and formulating interview questions. When Fellows return to their colleges and universities, they will work with their advisors and fellow students in completing assignments and reading. Upon acceptance into the program, each Fellow will receive a comprehensive course handbook which details each component of the project.

Fellows have until December 1st, 2003 to tape their interviews. This deadline allows Fellows sufficient time to complete the remaining requirements by December 19th, the final project deadline.

Material to be submitted to NVLP by each Fellow at the end of the course:

The complete videotaped biographical interview with the selected Local Visionary
A one-page biography and photo of the Local Visionary
An essay on the historical significance of the visionary’s achievements in the local community
A bibliography of all sources consulted during the course of the project
Copies of articles, documents, interview notes, etc. that comprise your research

Prior to this final deadline, Fellows will also be responsible for completing two reflection papers and an outline of their research process. The deadlines for these assignments will be announced at the conference.

The three Fellows producing the most complete, well-researched and well-executed projects, will receive scholarship awards.

APPLICATION PROCESS

All application materials are included in this packet.

A completed application must include:

Attached student data sheet
A 1-2 page essay on why the applicant wants to be a Visionary Heritage Fellow
A 1-2 page essay on why the applicant has chosen his/her local elder, including a brief description of that individual’s contributions to the local community
Signed understanding of the requirements of the program (the last page of this application packet).
A copy of a most recent school transcript (does not have to be “official”)
Two letters of recommendation

All applications and accompanying materials for the Visionary Heritage Fellowship Program must be typed and postmarked or received electronically no later than April 7, 2003 to:

The Visionary Heritage Fellowship Program

National Visionary Leadership Project

1218 16th Street, NW

Washington, DC 20036

e-mail completed applications to

Current Partnering Institutions

Central State University Oberlin College

Fisk University Prairie View A&M University

Georgetown University Spelman College

Howard University Wesleyan University

Nyack College Xavier University

Visionary Heritage Fellowship Program, Information and Application

NVLP OFFICERS

Dr. Camille O. Cosby,

President and Co-founder

Renee Poussaint,

Executive Director and Co-founder

Douglas Spiro,

Project Director

ADVISORY BOARD

Mr. Tom Burrell

Ms. Birgit Burton

Dr. Johnnetta Cole

Ms. Erika Cosby

Ms. Allison Davis

Ms. Carmen deLavallade

Dr. David Driskell

Dr. Manning Marable

Mr. Charles J. Ogletree, Jr.

Dr. Alvin Poussaint

Dr. Ray Winbush

Mrs. Carolyn Wright-Lewis

Visionary Heritage Fellowship Program, Information and Application

Application Materials
Applicant Data Sheet

(Please type your responses)

Student Name:

University/College:

Year: Date of Birth

Major/Minor: GPA:

Student’s School Mailing Address:

Phone: Fax (if available):

Mobile Phone:

E-mail:

Home Address:

Home Phone (and Fax):

In the space below, briefly describe past and present community service activities.

Please respond to the following questions. Your responses should be 1-2 double spaced pages each.

Why does the Visionary Heritage Fellowship Program interest you?

Who is the Local Visionary you have chosen, and why have you selected this elder? (In your response, please provide brief details about the individual’s achievements in the local community.)

Recommendations

Please mail, fax or email two written recommendations from 1) a faculty member and 2) a member of your community (not a relative), who are able to provide insight into your leadership qualities.

Transcripts

Please provide one copy of your most recent transcript to NVLP to complete your application.

All materials must be received by NVLP no later than March 31, 2003. Students selected for participation in the Visionary Heritage Fellowship Program will be notified by April 7, 2003.

VHFP 2003 Program Dates

March 31, 2003 / Deadline for applications
April 7, 2003 / Announcement of the chosen Fellows
June 1-7, 2003 / VHFP Leadership and Training Conference
December 1, 2003 / Interviews must be completed
December 19, 2003 / Deadline for all project materials to NVLP
March 3, 2004 / Announcement of scholarship winners

Application Checklist

Applicant data sheet

A 1-2 page essay on why you want to be a Visionary Heritage Fellow

A 1-2 page essay on why you have chosen a particular local elder to profile, including a brief description of that individual’s contributions to the local community

Signed understanding of the requirements of the program

A copy of a recent school transcript

Two letters of recommendation

Visionary Heritage Fellowship Program, Information and Application

Selection and Confirmation of a Local Visionary

What is a Local Visionary?

A Local Visionary is an individual in your community, over the age of 70, who has made significant contributions to their individual community and to the larger African American community through their accomplishments, in such areas as leadership, teaching, scholarship, artistic talent, etc. Local visionaries are typically leaders, whose passion and efforts have deeply impacted local society.

How do I Select a Local Visionary?

Local visionaries exist in every community. Consider individuals who inspire, and perhaps intrigue you, individuals whose efforts and struggles have clearly contributed to the ongoing improvement of their overall community.

Local visionaries may be community organizers, members of faith communities, leaders in business and industry, politicians, artists, writers, academics, etc. Select a person who will enhance our collective awareness of community connections, and increase our understanding of the role one person can play in creating social, political, and economic change.

Tips:

Consider the following organizations in locating a Local Visionary:
Historically black churches
Historically black secondary schools
Chapters of black professional organizations
Chapters of black fraternal organizations
Local community centers
Museums

If using the internet, consider using a search engine, such as Google.com. Type in “African American”+local+hero+(your home state). You may narrow your search by typing in your hometown and a particular career field.

Your school will have powerful databases such as Lexis Nexus or EthnicWatch that should be explored. Make sure to take advantage of your school’s library.

How do I Confirm My Chosen Visionary’s Participation in this Project?

After you have chosen a Local Visionary, you are in a position to approach them and request their participation if you are chosen as Fellow. Before asking a Local Visionary to be a potential interviewee, it is very important that you are able to speak knowledgably and intelligently on the following:

The goals and objectives of the Visionary Heritage Fellowship Program
Your role as recorder of their life stories and personal achievements
The outcomes of this project

Make sure to inquire about your Local Visionary’s schedule, and make sure that they will be available when are decide you are ready to conduct the interview.

Applicant: Please sign the understanding below. Make a copy of this sheet for your records.

I understand that one of the requirements of this program is the selection of a chosen Visionary from my local community prior to my acceptance into the program. I have discussed the project with my chosen local elder, and have confirmed their participation as an interviewee if I am chosen as a Fellow. I understand that I have until December 1st to complete the taping the interview, and have made arrangements to return, if necessary, to my local community to conduct the interview. Lastly, I am aware that the deadline for all project materials is December 19th, 2003.

______

ApplicantDate

Visionary Heritage Fellowship Program, Information and Application