Philly fellows participants profiles show what a postgraduate year at a Philadelphia nonprofit can lead to: teaching, curriculum design, brand work, technology or journalism. The public record names roles and employers; the sections below keep sourced details apart from unknowns.
A graduate choosing between a classroom role and a communications role needs concrete examples more than a program brochure. The wider context sits in the guide to postgraduate fellowships philadelphia, while this page follows individual people, grouped by the kind of work they do.
What these profiles cover and where they come from
The richest public set of named profiles comes from PhillyCAM’s Digital Media Literacy Fellows page, which lists fellows connected to PhillyCAM and the Media Mobilizing Project. That is a related Philadelphia community fellowship, not the Philly Fellows program itself. The people below therefore illustrate the kinds of nonprofit and community roles that fellows in this part of Philadelphia hold, rather than a roster of one cohort.
Class years and cohort sizes are absent from the profile page, so none are implied here. Philly Fellows’ own stated purpose appears on its Idealist listing, and it is covered in the section on the program’s Philadelphia setting.
Role types at a glance
The table groups the named profiles by the kind of work each person is described as doing. Descriptions are attributed to the profile text, and the last column turns each into a practical reading.
| Role type | Profiled person | Role described | Planning use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Instruction | Sarah Seymour | Computer Instructor at Lee Cultural Center in West Philadelphia | Suits graduates who want to teach digital skills in a neighborhood setting |
| Instruction | Davelle Barnes | Teaching artist, with Mighty Writers named | Suits creative graduates who prefer teaching through arts and writing |
| Instruction | Barrett Harvey | Lead Instructor at Philadelphia Works, Inc. | Shows a workforce-training route for people who like instructing adults |
| Curriculum | Andrea Mack | Develops digital literacy curriculum at the Free Library of Philadelphia | Suits planners who prefer designing lessons to delivering them daily |
| Brand and media | Laniece Williams | Helps nonprofits and community organizing groups develop and define their brand | Suits graduates with design or communications interests |
| Brand and media | Nora Kerrich | Media maker and educator based in Philadelphia | Suits people who want to combine production with teaching |
| Journalism | Ernest Owens | LGBTQ editor and news columnist for Philadelphia magazine | Shows that a community media year can feed a writing career |
| Technology | Helyx Chase | Technology Manager at the Media Mobilizing Project | Suits graduates drawn to systems and support at an advocacy group |
These role descriptions come from PhillyCAM’s Digital Media Literacy Fellows profiles.
Teaching and instruction roles
Instruction is the most direct answer to what postgraduate fellows do day to day. Sarah Seymour is profiled as the Computer Instructor at Lee Cultural Center in West Philadelphia, a community-center setting where the work is teaching people to use computers. Davelle Barnes is profiled as a teaching artist connected to Mighty Writers, which points to a classroom built around creative work rather than software.
Barrett Harvey’s profile lists work as a lead instructor at Philadelphia Works, Inc., a different audience again. The three titles show that teaching can mean a neighborhood class, an arts workshop or training for working adults. This route suits graduates who are comfortable standing in front of a group. It suits them less if they prefer behind-the-scenes planning, because the title itself puts delivery at the center of the job.
Curriculum and digital literacy
Andrea Mack’s profile moves from delivery to design. It says she currently works at the Free Library of Philadelphia developing digital literacy curriculum, which means writing the lessons that instructors such as Seymour then teach. A fellow who enjoys explaining things but tires of repeating the same class may find this the better fit.
The limit is that a curriculum title does not reveal how much teaching or testing happens first. A graduate weighing this path would do well to ask a host organization how much of the year is spent with learners and how much on materials.
An AmeriCorps technology year: Digital Service Fellows
A separate public page shows the structure of a year-long technology fellowship. The Philadelphia Digital Service Fellows post describes the program as a full-time, year-long commitment. It is a joint effort of the School District and Communities in Schools, and in 2015 it was in its 14th year of operation. It is aimed at seniors interested in pursuing a career in information technology while advancing their education.
The benefits listed include a $5,730 Education Award and an AmeriCorps living stipend. Together they show how AmeriCorps-backed fellowships are often funded: a living allowance during the service year and an education award afterward. A dollar range for stipends should be confirmed on the page of whichever fellowship a graduate is considering, since it can differ by program and year.
Brand, media and journalism roles
Three profiles show how communications skills carry into nonprofit work. Laniece Williams is described as helping nonprofits and community organizing groups develop and define their brand. That is a service role: the fellow works for the host’s mission and for other groups’ identities at once. Nora Kerrich is profiled as a media maker and educator based in Philadelphia, a pairing of production and teaching.
Ernest Owens is described as an award-winning journalist and the LGBTQ editor and news columnist for Philadelphia magazine. His profile shows an outcome at the far end of the media track. Not every fellow will reach a magazine post, so it works best as evidence that writing and media experience can lead to journalism. It is not a promise about any individual year.
Technology and operations roles
Helyx Chase’s profile states that they are employed as the Technology Manager at the Media Mobilizing Project. This is a behind-the-scenes role: keeping systems working so an advocacy organization can reach its audience. It suits graduates who like troubleshooting and want an organization’s mission to shape their technical work.
Compared with the teaching routes, this track carries less public-facing work and more responsibility for tools that colleagues depend on. A fellow who wants both can look at hosts where technology support and community training sit under one roof, as the digital literacy programs above do.
What fellows say they gained
The profiles describe skills and credentials more than testimonials, so the gains are best read from what each person is shown doing. Williams’s brand work for nonprofits and community groups points to communications and organizing know-how. Sirron Carrector’s profile lists a Master of Science in Instructional Technology (MSIT), a credential that links directly to the digital-training roles above. The profile does not state whether it was earned during a fellowship, so it should be read as background rather than an outcome.
The pattern across profiles is practical: teaching ability, curriculum building, media production and technology support. Reflection on the year, such as what to keep doing and what to drop, is the part a graduate has to supply personally.
Where fellows go next
The profiled roles give a sense of destinations. Seymour is a computer instructor in West Philadelphia, Mack develops curriculum at a public library, Chase manages technology at an advocacy organization and Owens writes for a regional magazine. Williams’s brand work serves nonprofits and community groups. Harvey’s profile also includes instruction at a workforce organization.
Most of these destinations stay in Philadelphia and in education, media or community organizing. The Digital Service Fellows post adds that its fellowship is aimed at people pursuing information technology careers. For a broader look at what happens after the year ends, the guide to careers after nonprofit fellowship picks up where these individual stories stop.
Philly Fellows and its Philadelphia setting
Idealist lists the Philly Fellows mission as creating opportunities for employment and community involvement in Philadelphia for recent graduates of local colleges and universities. That purpose explains why the roles above are local: community centers, a public library, an advocacy group and a city magazine. A postgraduate fellowship here is as much about staying and contributing to a neighborhood as about the job title.
For named host organizations and the years they hosted fellows, see the page on philly fellows placements. It complements this page: placements show where fellows worked, while these profiles show what the work looked like.
Choosing which role type to follow
A short checklist turns the profiles into a decision. Work through it in order.
- Decide how you prefer to work. Choose instruction if you want daily contact with learners, curriculum if you prefer design, and technology if you prefer supporting colleagues.
- Match the setting. Community centers, libraries, advocacy groups and magazines each shape the role differently.
- Read the commitment. A full-time, year-long program such as Digital Service Fellows leaves little room for a second job, so plan finances around the benefits it lists.
- Ask about the day. Titles show direction, not schedules, so ask the host what a typical week contains.
- Confirm current details. Pay, deadlines and eligibility change by year, so check the program’s own page before applying.
Frequently asked questions
Are the people profiled here Philly Fellows participants?
The named profiles come from PhillyCAM’s Digital Media Literacy Fellows page, a related Philadelphia fellowship. They illustrate role types and outcomes without claiming membership in a specific Philly Fellows cohort.
Where is Philly Fellows based, and what causes does it list?
Idealist lists the organization at 1501 Cherry Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102. Its listed cause areas are poverty, science and technology, and volunteering, according to its Idealist page.
