Community College of Philadelphia and WOMEN’S WAY partner to assemble a new cohort of Change the Narrative Fellows

February 3, 2023 Category: Local Posted by: Philadelphia Sun Staff

ABOVE PHOTO: The newest cohort of Change the Narrative Fellows. (Photo/Elizabeth Field)

PHILADELPHIA – WOMEN’S WAY has announced its new cohort of Change the Narrative Fellows in partnership with Community College of Philadelphia’s Women’s Outreach and Advocacy Center.

In 2020, the WOMEN’S WAY Gender Wealth Institute launched its Change the Narrative Fellowship – a program that seeks to change the predominant narratives of women and economic insecurity by using a women-led, bottom-up, intersectional approach.

The fellowship trains and empowers women with the lived experience of economic insecurity to share their personal stories through professional-level audio, visual, and print. Fellows from past cohorts have been featured in media outlets, on panels, as keynote speakers, and more.

In collaboration with CCP’s Women’s Outreach and Advocacy Center, this year’s cohort members were recruited from Community College of Philadelphia. After receiving more than 60 applications, 10 CCP students were selected for the third cohort of Change the Narrative Fellows.

These new fellows come with a diversity of lived experiences and backgrounds. They will spend the next 7 months participating in trainings, workshops, and networking opportunities with media, funders, and policymakers to share their stories.

“The Women’s Outreach and Advocacy Center at Community College of Philadelphia is excited to partner with WOMEN’S WAY on this important initiative,” said Melissa Fogg, director of the Women’s Outreach and Advocacy Center. “At the College, we are proud to offer our women-identified and gender non-conforming students a platform to share their knowledge and stories, and build community with each other. As advocates and changemakers, we want to empower our students to take control of their own narratives and achieve their goals.”

“We are thrilled to continue meaningful narrative change work for the Change the Narrative Fellowship’s third year, this year in partnership with the Community College of Philadelphia,” said Kelly Sheard, director of the Gender Wealth Institute at WOMEN’S WAY. “There is such richness and depth in the stories of our Fellows, and it’s an honor to center their wisdom as we work to spur collective action to improve economic security for women in the region.”

“I’m really looking forward to being able to contribute to important discussions about how economic hardships specifically impact women since I don’t really get the opportunity to do so anywhere else,” said Christina Tsan, a new Change the Narrative Fellow. “I am also excited about listening to other women speak and gaining more insight about different topics through their perspectives.”

To learn more about the Change the Narrative Fellowship and meet past Fellows, visit: https://womensway.org/gwi/changethenarrative/. A $100,000 grant from HFGF Foundation enabled WOMEN’S WAY to conduct the Fellowship Program this year for the Third Cohort of Fellows.