True Colors Fellows Collaborate on Six-Month Projects with the True Colors Fund
Look out world – here come the True Colors Fellows! Our 2018 class of Fellows is an inspiring group of young people dedicated to ending lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth homelessness. On May 8, we kicked off the Fellowship in New York City with a training and skill-share to prep Fellows and staff alike for the journey ahead.
For the duration of the experience, Fellows are paired with a True Colors Fund staff member. Together, they work on a project that contributes to a more inclusive world for LGBTQ youth. Throughout the experience, True Colors Fellows make lasting professional connections, gain hands-on organizing experience, and build their leadership skills. We want to give a special thanks to our sponsors this year: AT&T, which is underwriting the Media and Innovation Fellowships; AEG, which is underwriting the Production Fellowship; Marriott International, which is underwriting the Research Fellowship; and The Palette Fund, which is underwriting the Advocacy Fellowship.
Let’s meet the 2018 Fellows and learn a bit about what each of them will be up to over the course of their six month experience.
Dehkontee Chanchan
Research Fellow, underwritten by Marriott International
Washington, D.C.
The Research Fellowship provides one young person the opportunity to update an educational resource. This Fellowship requires community involvement at both the national and local levels, tapping into experts working on issues that affect youth homelessness through an LGBTQ lens.
Alex Exum
Production Fellow, underwritten by AEG
Hopkins, MN
The Production Fellowship provides a young person the opportunity to co-coordinate an event dedicated to the issues surrounding LGBTQ youth homelessness. This True Fellow gains valuable experience in large-scale event production and peer collaboration.
Lele Exum
Advocacy Fellow, underwritten by The Palette Fund
Hopkins, MN
The Advocacy Fellowship gives one young person the opportunity to act as a national and state representative as it pertains to state administrative education, public policy, advocacy, and grassroots movement building.
Maddox Guerilla
Media Fellow, underwritten by AT&T
Bronx, NY
The Media Fellowship provides a young person the opportunity to plan and produce content for a digital media campaign about issues that impact LGBTQ youth. This Fellow gains experience in digital advocacy, marketing, and project management.
Jae Lange
Innovation Fellow, underwritten by AT&T
Richmond, VA
The Innovation Fellowship provides a young person the opportunity to participate in the creation of a technology solution that addresses LGBTQ homelessness. The Fellow gains experience researching and evaluating existing technologies, developing user stories, and collaborating with other technology professionals across the country.
Learn from the Fellows at the True Colors Fund’s Summit
We can’t wait to see all the awesome things these Fellows accomplish. The next time they’ll all be together again is at our Impact Summit in Atlanta on October 3-4, where they’ll present all the work they accomplished. We want you to join us! The Impact Summit is a unique two-day conversation that brings together awesome people doing awesome things to end homelessness among LGBTQ youth across the country – including advocates, service providers, funders, government officials, and of course, young people!