Position: Nook Fellow

Organization: Project DEFY

Location: Bangalore

Apply: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd9Umg-ceAyKJ79RYPqlyO1YQ-5zPf3WWQha7GHjTqI4rnkVw/viewform?vc=0&c=0&w=1&flr=0

Duration: 18 months

Languages: Kannada, Hindi, and English

Stipend: Rs 20,000

Description
Nooks are 'schools without teachers' in marginalised communities that provide everyone with free access to technology, tools, resources and information to design and pursue their own education. Nook Fellows will be co-leading this grassroots-education initiative alongside and with our learners. They will be working with a community of 40-80 Learners to pursue their own, hands-on projects; help establish the idea of self-designed learning in the local community; facilitate and encourage discussions among the community on a broad variety of topics and issues; and – ultimately – enable local community members to run the space on their
own and create a truly sustainable, community-led form of education that helps underprivileged individuals to pursue and catch their dreams, and marginalised communities to prosper and grow.

Nook Fellows are self-confident, expressive and communicative individuals between 20 and 30 years old who have the commitment to live and grow with a local community for 18 months. Rather than a mere job, they see the fellowship as a community experience and a way to solve a community problem as well as work towards substantial change in the education landscape.

They are interested in project-based learning, have an in-depth understanding of the concept of and approach towards self-designed learning, and have a hands-on attitude to learn with the Nook Community and support learners in their various projects.

Nook Fellows are expected to apply their experience in alternative learning and pedagogy in the Nook and co-create a free, safe, and inclusive self-learning space together with the learners. To do this, they will also receive regular in-house training which they must attend and successfully complete. Additionally, for 60 days of the 18-months fellowship, Nook Fellows will get the chance to visit other alternative education projects, attend workshops and seminars and join various activities. In turn, after the first 12 months at the Nook, the Nook

Fellows will share their experiences and knowledge with a local community member who will be trained to
take up the role of Nook Fellow once the fellowship ends after 18 months.

As local, community-based Project DEFY staff, Nook Fellows are also the focal point for collecting and providing information, data etc. to the Project DEFY office team and work closely with the operations, communications and impact leads.

Tasks Summary

The Nook Fellow must perform the following tasks -

1. Coordinate the set-up of the Nook in cooperation with the hopper (where applicable)
2. Keep the Nook open in the set hours
3. Ensure the Nook is clean and safe
4. Maintain equipment and keep inventory
5. Ensure every learner gets equal and ample access to the Nook
6. Co-create a safe, inclusive, and open learning space together with the learners
7. Facilitate activities and sessions to help to build a community of learners in the Nook
(games, field trips and excursions, sports events, movie nights, team-building activities, ...)
8. Create a monthly budget for equipment, materials and other monetary requirements,
and send it to the DEFY Ops team
9. Receive funds and make purchases according to the monthly budget
10. Conduct the induction program at the nook every three months
11. Conduct goal-setting sessions and monitor and assist with the progress of learners in achieving their individual learning goals throughout
12. Conduct outreach to engage more new learners from the community
13. Conduct periodic workshops and community events, including internal and external review sessions after each goal cycle
14. Organize internal events such as workshops, skill sessions, or new experiences relevant to the Nook and its learners by inviting outside guests and creating a network of outside facilitators

15. Fill Datasheet and Goal sheet and assist with conducting surveys and other forms of research for impact assessment
16. Assist Project DEFY team in any operations, communications, and impact-related work
17. Create social media and blog posts from nook
18. Collect profile and other information about the learners
19. Participate in the Nook Forum
20. Receive guests and any stakeholders who come to visit the Nook and tell them about it
21. Successfully complete the training program
22. Write and share reports on external training visits
23. Recruit and train a local, community-based Nook Fellow to take over once the Nook Fellow leaves after 18 months