In 1998, Open Society Institute launched the Community Fellowships program to support social entrepreneurs working in underserved Baltimore communities. Over the past 20 years, OSI has supported 190 Fellows, who have launched some of the region’s most enduring community-based initiatives, including Community Law in Action, Thread, The Book Thing of Baltimore, and Wide Angle Youth Media.
In recent years, the Community Fellowships program has worked to strengthen the Community Fellows Network. That work continued in 2017 with the launch of the Community Fellows Network Strategic Advisory Group. The group, comprising 10 Community Fellows, aims to strengthen connections among the Fellows, discover and address shared needs, and explore venues for collaboration. In addition to strengthening each Fellow’s own work, a deeply connected network will enable collective work towards particular social justice goals.
The Strategic Advisory Group has formed five committees to advance its work: Skill Sharing, Healing, and Storytelling; public relations and Marketing; Thought Leadership; Mentorship and Transitions; and Dinner and Happy Hours.
“All of the Fellows in the Strategic Advisory Group are really extraordinary individuals,” says Pamela King, director of the Community Fellowships program. “Together, they can harness the collective power of the Fellows Network to help Baltimore thrive.”
