Brightness in Black Student Fellow

Philadelphia, PA

Part Time

Programs: Initiatives - Brightness in Black

Student (College)

BRIGHTNESS IN BLACK STUDENT FELLOW

Division: Programs

Department: Initiatives - Brightness in Black

Location: Hybrid (Philadelphia, PA and Remote). Must be able to work both remotely and in person at Philadelphia-based locations.

Travel Percentage: 75% within the Philadelphia area. Must reside in the Philadelphia metro area during the summer months (note: housing is not provided)

Reports To: Program Director, Brightness in Black

Term of Employment: May 27, 2025 - Aug 15, 2025

Status: Part Time, Grant/Initiative-Funded, Non-Exempt, Non-Union

Hourly Rate: $21.23/hr

THE ROLE

This is a grant-funded position. Renewal of the position is subject/dependent upon continued funding. If the grant is not renewed, the incumbent can apply for other roles within StoryCorps.

Employment in this role will end on August 15, 2025.

Candidates must reside in the Philadelphia metro area during the summer months and be able to work both remotely and in person at Philadelphia-based locations (note: housing is not provided).

This position is not benefits-eligible.

We are looking to hire two fellows for this role.

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The Brightness in Black Student Fellowship is a three-month, non residential, program designed for rising juniors, seniors, or 2025 graduates attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), or Philadelphia-area community colleges or universities, to play a vital role in bringing Brightness in Black to life by serving as interview facilitators in the local community. Fellows will receive in-depth training in StoryCorps interview & archival methodology and community engagement practices, as well as mentorship and coaching.

Fellows will facilitate, record, and help archive pre-identified interviews, as well as conduct outreach to community members of their choosing for Brightness In Black. Fellows will assist during community-based learning workshops and help identify soundbites from interviews to be used for content creation and social media.

The fellowship provides personal and professional development through training, practical experience, and participation in a learning community guided by StoryCorps staff, community partners, local content creators, and participants in the fellowship cohort. The program is anchored by mindfulness practices to support the Fellows' ability to manage their well-being throughout the program and beyond.

The fellowship is intended for students interested in exploring oral history, media creation, community-based storytelling practices, and affecting narrative change in the Black community.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

Virtually attend weekly training, planning, learning, and work management sessions.
Facilitate weekly onsite & virtual community recordings arranged by StoryCorps staff. The recording process includes: Interview confirmation calls, space preparation/breakdown, recording equipment set-up, interview facilitation, active listening & note-taking, and data entry for archival and content creation purposes:
- Travel to partner sites (organizations, groups, and institutions) to record BIB interviews with participants identified by the partner
- Welcome participants and guide them through the interview experience, asking questions when appropriate
- Professionally represent StoryCorps to the public and actively promote the StoryCorps mission
- Act as interviewer with solo participants
- Manage technical aspects of recording the interviews, including operating and maintaining radio-quality digital recorders, mixers, microphones, and other equipment
- Perform reporting, data entry, and archival processing tasks to ensure preservation of interviews and an accurate record of the day’s activity
Conduct research and outreach within the local community to arrange BIB recordings of interest.
Support during monthly community-based workshops.
Fellows may travel and facilitate recordings during out-of-state BIB pop-up events.
Fellows may participate in content creation (filming behind the scenes, listening to audio, and editing).
Fellows may be required to work evenings, weekends, and/or holidays to meet the recording needs of the community partners. (Work schedules will be planned in advance.)
Perform other duties to support Brightness in Black as assigned.

ABOUT YOU

Required

Currently enrolled as a rising junior or senior, or a 2025 graduate, in good academic standing at any HBCU or Philadelphia-area community college, college, or university — or recently graduated from one of these institutions.
Students may arrange to earn college credit upon completion of the fellowship, depending on their school’s requirements.
Must reside in the Philadelphia metro area during the summer months (note: housing is not provided).
Must be able to work both remotely and in person at Philadelphia-based locations.
Interest in storytelling, interviewing, media/content creation, and community engagement.
Strong interpersonal skills, including the ability to communicate effectively in a variety of ways (e.g., verbal, written, and visual)
Dependable and organized, with effective time management skills.
Able to work both independently and collaboratively, with or without direct supervision.
Comfortable engaging with members of the public in a welcoming and respectful manner.
Open to learning new tools and technologies (e.g., audio recording equipment, digital cameras), with support and training provided.
Demonstrates cultural humility and the ability to contribute to an inclusive, equitable, and diverse work environment.

Physical Requirements:

Fellows transport a bag (25 lbs) and a Field Recording Kit (50 lbs, on wheels) to recording sites.
75% of the job is dedicated to local travel in Philadelphia.

ABOUT STORYCORPS

StoryCorps' mission is to help us believe in each other by illuminating the humanity and possibility in us all — one story at a time. Since 2003, more than 600,000 people, in all 50 states, have recorded StoryCorps interviews about their lives. We preserve and archive their recordings at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress, the largest single collection of human voices ever gathered, and share select stories with the public through StoryCorps’ podcast, NPR broadcasts, animated shorts, digital platforms, and best-selling books. These powerful human stories reflect the vast range of American experiences, engender empathy and connection, and remind us how much more we have in common than what divides us. StoryCorps is especially committed to capturing and amplifying voices least heard in the media.

ABOUT BRIGHTNESS IN BLACK

StoryCorps’ Brightness in Black is a multimedia oral history initiative focused on driving narrative change through the power of personal storytelling, community engagement, and content creation. Brightness in Black seeks to counter deficit-framed narratives about Black people and communities with asset-framed stories of joy, pride, resilience, and legacy. In 2025, StoryCorps will embed in Philadelphia to cultivate robust community engagement and story collection. Brightness in Black is a multimedia oral history initiative focused on driving narrative change through the power of personal storytelling, community engagement, and media creation. Brightness in Black seeks to counter deficit-framed narratives about Black people and communities with asset-framed stories of joy, pride, and resilience.

OUR COMMITMENT:

We seek to recruit and develop a staff whose diversity reflects the communities we serve, and strongly encourage applications from people of color, the LGBTQ+ community, and people of all ages, political beliefs, and cultures. StoryCorps records, shares, and preserves stories from across the country.

IN-OFFICE WORK:

Working at the StoryCorps office is optional except in certain circumstances, such as in-person training, if your position requires some in-office presence, or if your manager needs an in-person individual or team meeting. For those who prefer to work in the office, that option remains.

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