ICICI Fellowship is a 12-month youth leadership programme that nurtures young talent to create a cadre of socially responsible leaders for India.
Since its inception, ICICI Foundation has gathered on-ground experience in designing the most suitable developmental solutions in environment conservation, healthcare, education, and livelihood sectors. Therefore, with this platform, we will train youth from different backgrounds in the development sector and pass this honourable mantle to aspiring development professionals, change makers, and potential leaders in the social sector. This fellowship could accelerate the quality and the quantity of high-impact development projects and their contribution to India.
The fellowship programme is based on the idea of passing on the benefits of the ICICI Foundation’s work of socio-economic development at a grassroots level to the next generation. This would transform the best and the brightest of India into capable socio-economic development professionals and future leaders. This programme will involve access to practical experiences and live mentorship in the ongoing high-impact, sustainable, and scalable projects of the organisation as well. The fellowship provides a framework for professionals from diverse backgrounds to collaborate and drive long-term socio-economic development in India. The action-oriented nature of experiences at the grassroots level would equip the ICICI fellows for a career in the development sector.
During the fellowship programme, fellow designates will engage with rural India to understand the challenges of underprivileged communities, from daily routines to local dynamics. The fellow designates will gain insights from the interconnectedness of ecosystemic factors affecting rural India.
Since fellow designates can access two specific projects, they receive an innate understanding of two distinct ecosystems and suggest and implement new interventions. The designates will connect with the network of onsite mentors, influencers, and technical experts to make the change possible.
ICICI Fellowship Programme emphasizes on transferring grassroots experiences and technical knowledge about livelihood development, education, healthcare, and environmental conservation sector. Since the foundation contributes actively to several domains, designates will receive several unique opportunities to expand their knowledge and profile. Additionally, systemic design thinking for problem-solving is at the centre of this programme's governance. A practical and impact-based project execution approach is given through mentoring from a highly skilled operating team that is already functioning at the grassroots level. The constant encouragement, mentoring for community growth, and the fundamentals of social entrepreneurship would transform the thinking and contributing abilities of the fellows.
1) Orientation - – The 4-week induction and training period will assist the fellow designates to comprehend the dynamics and problems of daily living in villages. The foundation would create an approach to the development sector that nurtures knowledge of various social issues, cultural and regional influences, and economic variables as well.
2) Experiential Learning – The foundation would train the fellow designates in the development sector by action learning – learning by doing. The village life would create an ecosystem of experiential learning in real life context. The emerging experience would be an exhaustively definitive platform for present and future endeavours. The fellow designates will work on two distinct projects. The core focus of these projects will be in the areas of promoting rural development, environmental conservation, livelihood development, education and healthcare sector. The fellow designates will drive community engagement by implementing sustainable solutions which can be fostered by the community. This could promote social entrepreneurship opportunities among the local community.
3) Mentoring - Each fellow designate will receive assistance from two mentors during the action learning phase. The on-site mentor will regularly provide guidance on how to address the challenges and enhance the processes of the projects. The hands-on knowledge, consistent support, and guidance of an experienced mentor will be a crucial part of the process. The fellow designates will be assisted in cultivating their skill sets and building an inclusive perspective toward rural India. The operational team and technical experts from various domains of social and development sectors will influence this process significantly.
4) Evaluation - The fellow designates would submit regular and timely online milestone reports. Mentors will report the observations about the performance of fellow designates. The fellow designates will make a final formal presentation in front of the review committee expounding on all the facets of individually undertaken projects and their vision of professional and personal pursuits.
5) Convocation - Upon successful completion, there will be a closing ceremony with certificate distribution.
An extensive support system is created to fulfil all the needs of the fellow designates during this 12-month process. ICICI Foundation will pay a monthly stipend, travel reimbursement, and health insurance coverage for a year.
A well curated support system will fulfil the needs of fellow designates during this 12-month period. ICICI Foundation will pay a sustenance stipend of Rs. 30,000 per month. Travel reimbursements would be at actuals as per policy for travel beyond local area. Health insurance would be covered under the group insurance scheme.
The condensed and transformative nature of this fellowship can lead to several unique avenues for the ICICI fellows after completion.
1)Leadership opportunities: ICICI fellows can join NGOs and CSR organizations across India in Managerial positions.
2)Social entrepreneurship: ICICI fellows can explore unique social entrepreneurial opportunities in the development sector.
3)Relevant expertise: ICICI Foundation applies unique corporate practices in development sector to optimize the output of its socio-economic development projects. Fellows with access to these insights could deliver superior results within a similar environment.
4)Holistic perspective: The on-field experience of this fellowship would offer a broader perspective and holistic approach to the professional pathways ahead.
• Education: Graduate or post-graduate
• Age: Up to 35 years (Fresh post-graduate applicants may get considered on an exceptional occasion.)
• Orientation: Relevant experience in socio-economic development would be beneficial, but not necessary. However, the right intent toward this sector is compulsory. Candidates must understand the risks, time commitments, and life choices necessary for a meaningful engagement and a potential career in this sector.
• First Stage: Eligible candidates will register on the website and fill out the online application form before October 22, 2022.
• Second Stage: All applicants would undergo a through screening process.
• Third Stage: The shortlisted candidates receive an invite to a personal interview. This will determine their suitability and commitment to the programme.
• Final Stage: Well-suited candidates will be invited to join the ICICI Fellowship Programme, which will begin on November 17, 2022.
1. Who are we looking for?
• ICICI Foundation intends to guide graduates and professional individuals, who are prepared to spend a year living in a rural area. They will be fully immersed in village life in order to contribute meaningfully to the projects. This transformative experience will empower the individuals to foray successfully into the socio-economic development sector effectively in long term.
2. Why ICICI Foundation started this program?
• Since its inception, the ICICI Foundation has worked at the grassroots level, where underprivileged people struggle to receive sustainable livelihood, and basic services like water, food, healthcare support, and knowledge. ICICI Foundation intends to engage today’s young generation in creating significant socio-economic change for these marginalised people. Understanding the local dynamics and impact of activities on entire ecosystems will enable fellows to drive significant and scalable change. This wisdom will transform professionals from diverse domains into social entrepreneurs, agents of social change, and leaders of tomorrow.
3. What does a candidate receive after the fellowship?
• A candidate will receive the ICICI Fellowship Programme Certificate upon successful completion of the programme. Additionally, a candidate will have an access to a wide network of experienced development professionals.
4. How professionally useful it is to join this program?
• This immersive nature of this experiential learning programme will give a designate an experience of working at the grassroots level to hone their leadership skills. With two different value chain projects, the fellow will have a diverse professional profile and add value to the organisation they will choose to join in the future.
Focus of the Program Design
1) Orientation - The Fellows will be provided a standard operating procedure, a knowledge of social issues, economic variables, cultural influences, and regional influencers beginning with a 4-week induction and training period. In order to comprehend the dynamics and problems of daily living, they will also spend time in a village
2) Experiential Learning – The fellows will choose two value chain program of their interest. These value chain projects will be in the areas of promoting of rural development, environmental sustainability, watershed management and forest and ecological conservation. The fellows will drive community development by implementing sustainable solutions which can be driven by the community promoting social entrepreneurship
3) Mentoring - Each Fellow will receive assistance from two mentors during the experiential learning phase. The on-site mentor will regularly provide guidance on how to address the challenges and enhance processes of the value chain projects. Parallel to this, fellows will be assisted on developing their skill sets and build a broader perspective by the central leadership and technical experts from several various domains of social and development sectors
4) Evaluation
• Regular and timely submissions of online reports post completion of milestones• Reports shared by through observation of mentors
• A final formal presentation to the review committee covering a details of the projects in all locations and understanding of their short-term personal plan.
5) Convocation
Support
• ICICI Foundation will be pay a monthly fixed stipend, travel reimbursement as per policy and provide health insurance cover to fellow designates
• Fixed Monthly Stipend – A fixed monthly stipend of Rs – xxx through the fellowship tenure
• Travel reimbursement – Travel reimbursement by xxx or its equivalent
• Health Insurance – A health insurance of Rs xx for the entire year
Opportunities Post ICICI Fellowship Completion
• Join other NGOs and CSR organisations at leadership positions driving change
• Cadre of people inducing corporate expertise in development sector
• Individual with a larger perspective and a holistic approach
• Become a social entrepreneur