TOW POLICY ADVOCACY FELLOWSHIP
HOST SITE APPLICATION
John Jay College of Criminal Justice is excited to announce the extension of the Tow Policy Advocacy
Fellowship (TPAF) for the 2015-16 academic year. With support from the Tow Foundation, the TPAF
prepares young professionals to become skilled policy advocates for social justice. Our goal is for students to
work in successful policy advocacy organizations, thereby gaining first-hand experience in the field with the
attendant challenges and rewards along the way. The ultimate aim is to develop highly-qualified employees to
join the policy advocacy workforce.
Our motivation is a belief that contemporary social injustices require a novel approach to professional
training. To that end, the Fellowship, administered by the Prisoner Reentry Institute (PRI) at John Jay,
emphasizes substantive exposure to the world of policy advocacy and collaboration with highly effective
policy advocacy organizations. We are therefore seeking partnerships with dynamic organizations
engaged in cutting-edge policy advocacy work in fields related to social justice.
The ideal organization is interested in making a unique contribution to the long-term vitality of this field – by
providing stimulating placements with good supervision and mentoring, by sharing experiences with program
administrators and other sites, by advising us on professional development opportunities for Fellows, and by
being in communication with us about the process and content of the program itself.
In addition, host sites will have the following:
 An active and engaging policy advocacy agenda
 Ability to make good use of the Fellow’s 14 hours/week
 Ability to expose Fellow to a wide array of aspects related to policy advocacy
 Capacity to offer supportive and constructively critical supervision
 Access to a wider network of allied organizations
 Demonstrated success in effecting policy change
Tow Policy Advocacy Fellows are John Jay Master’s students who are selected based on their academic
achievements, professional experience, and commitment to social justice. Host sites may apply for one or two
Fellows (depending on site preference and capacity) for a nine-month placement. Fellows will simultaneously
be enrolled in a 2-semester, 6-credit course at John Jay. The classroom-based training will support Fellows’
work at host sites, which will in turn provide context and real-world substance to classroom instruction. The
course includes modules on: Policy Analysis, Communication, Leadership & Social Change, Research
Methods, and Political Awareness. Fellows will also engage in ongoing professional development.
The Tow Fellowship’s John Jay College faculty partner is Karin Martin, PhD, who both teaches the
aforementioned course and serves as a liaison between the Fellows and the host sites. Dr. Martin’s area of
expertise is crime policy, with an emphasis on institutional interpretations of criminal behavior such as in
sentencing (e.g. using money to punish) or policing. She is currently teaching Policy Analysis at both the
graduate and undergraduate levels, drawing on her training in policy analysis by Eugene Bardach, (author of
“A Practical Guide For Policy Analysis: The Eightfold Path To More Effective Problem Solving”) at the
University of California, Berkeley. She has both conducted her own policy analyses for clients (e.g. social
justice non-profits, police departments) and has advised ten cohorts of students through semester-long policy
projects. She was closely mentored in teaching by Robert Reich as an instructor for six years in the MPP core
curriculum course, “Leadership and Social Change,” also at UC Berkeley.
If you would like to join with us in training the next generation of advocates for social justice policy
and believe that your organization could benefit from hosting a Tow Policy Advocacy Fellow, please submit
this application by 12pm on Monday, August 3, 2015.
Additional Information
Before submitting your application, please take the following into consideration:
 The Tow Policy Advocacy Fellowship is a 9-month program. Fellows will begin working at their
placement sites in early September 2015 (the first full week of the John Jay academic calendar) and
will serve through mid-May 2016.
 Fellows work 14 hours per week during the fall and spring semesters. During the John Jay winter
break (late December to late January), Fellows are expected to average 14 hours per week at their
sites, but the actual work schedule can be negotiated between the Fellow and the site supervisor (as
Fellows’ schedules will be more flexible, not having classes during the break). Students are not
expected to work during John Jay’s spring break or when sites are closed for holidays.
 We are seeking host sites at which Fellows can contribute to the organization’s mission and perform
substantive duties, while gaining valuable professional experience themselves. We hope that Fellows
will be exposed to a variety of responsibilities, such as direct involvement with the policy advocacy
process, program management, and developing a sophisticated approach to making decisions in the
realm of policy.
 You may request up to two Fellows, if you have the capacity to supervise and provide sufficient work
for two. The actual number of Fellows placed will depend on the final number of sites and making
appropriate matches based on a variety of considerations.
Application
To apply to host a John Jay College Tow Fellow for the 2015-16 academic year, please prepare a single Word
document or PDF that addresses all fifteen of the items listed below. Email your application to
pri@jjay.cuny.edu by 12pm on Monday, August 3.
The application process will include a “matching event” at John Jay College, at which representatives from
prospective host sites have the opportunity to meet the 2015-16 Tow Fellows. The event is scheduled for
9am to 12pm on Tuesday, August 25. Attending this event is a mandatory step for serving as a host site;
the prospective Tow Fellow supervisor should attend. (Other staff members who may interact with the Tow
Fellow are invited as well.)
Please numerate each portion of your application as follows:
Organizational Benefit
1. An explanation of your interest in hosting a Tow Fellow, including how your organization would
benefit and current projects or organizational focus to which the Fellow would contribute.
2. A description of whether and how the organization would provide broad exposure to both the
management of the organization and the larger field, including how working at the host site would
help develop the Fellow’s policy analysis, policy research, policy advocacy, leadership and
communications skills.
3. A completed chart indicating if/how often a Tow Fellow would have the following experiences while
working with your organization. (Please copy and paste this chart into your final application.)
Experience
participation in public
meetings
exposure to legislative process
very
frequently
often
possibly
unlikely
very
unlikely
not
applicable
(e.g. bill-writing, meetings with
legislators, topical research)
interacting with local/ state/
national network surrounding
given policy issue
practice writing and receiving
feedback
public speaking & oral
presentations (with feedback)
information dissemination
(e.g. social media, website
management, flyers)
stakeholder analysis (e.g. focus
groups, political mapping,
interviews)
working with data
working with clients
problem-solving
practicing leadership skills
If applicable, please list any other
experiences here:
Tow Fellow Placement(s):
4. A “job description” for the work the Fellow would do – what would be the main responsibilities,
what are the ideal qualifications, what would be the scope of work?
5. A description of infrastructure capacity to host student (e.g. work space, computer, phone, as
required to accomplish assigned tasks).
6. A job description and resume for the staff member who would provide primary supervision.
7. A statement of whether travel is expected and anticipated need for the TPAF initiative to provide
travel expenses, if any.
8. If more than one Fellow is being requested, an explanation of your need and capacity to support each
one.
Organizational Overview
9. An overview or your organization’s mission and programs. (Excerpts from your website or other
promotional materials are acceptable.)
10. A brief financial overview – specifically your agency’s approximate annual budget, number of staff,
and major sources of funding.
11. An organizational chart – specifically showing the branch or unit where the Tow Fellow would be
placed.
General Information
12. The name, e-mail address, and phone number of the person who will serve as the liaison between
your organization and the Tow Policy Advocacy Fellowship. (Note: This should be the same person
who will provide primary supervision to the Fellow.)
13. Contact information for the organization’s Executive Director (name, e-mail address, and phone
number), if different from the Fellow’s prospective supervisor.
14. A statement of commitment written and signed by the Fellow’s prospective supervisor, indicating
that he/she will meet with the Fellow at least twice a month to provide guidance, feedback, and any
necessary support.
15. A signed letter of support from your organization’s Executive Director, expressing his/her support
of this application to host a Tow Fellow and certifying that all information in this application is
accurate.