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2009Summer Edition

Road-trips for social change

www.grassroutes.in

Applicant Handbook

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About GrassroutesGrassroutes is a Fellowship Program which funds youth to go on road-trips for social change. Travelingacross India, meeting change-makers, working with social ventures, learning developmental issues, livingon less than $1 a day, these youth return with stories of social change; and the program enables them touse these stories to drive campaigns and become change agents themselves.

An initiative of a non-profit for-impact society Youth Factor , and run by 20-odd year olds just out of college, Grassroutes aims to be a novel social venture driving youth to social action in India.

MantraThe Grassroutes mantra is to use travel as a means to enable youth to be change agents .

The team believes that immersion experiences in areas where social entrepreneurs are battling odds tocreate sustainable, significant impact, have the potential to create deep impact on the way we perceivesocial change.

ValuesThe focus of the Grassroutes program is to help youth realize and develop two vital values

Social entrepreneurship : A way of thought to identify grassroots level problems, developsolutions to address them and have a significant social impact in the process

Social journalism : An approach of observing social issues like development, rights, access toinformation etc at the grassroots, present it to a larger audience using media tools in acompelling manner and to spark conversations in communities which can solve the issues athand.

He, who does not travel, does not know the value of men

- Moorish Proverb

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History

In the winter of 2008, Grassroutes launched its maiden (pilot) edition and chose 3 teams and a total of 14 outstanding youth as Fellows. These teams kicked off their road-trips after a 1-day orientation held inBangalore, conducted by inspiring social entrepreneurs, journalists and travelers. Their roads took themto three places:

1. Pochampally, AP ; to understand the problems of a weaver community and discover the dyingart of Pochampally sarees

2. Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu ; to understand relocation problems being facedby tribals and discover the man-vs-environment battle in real life

3. Bilaspur, Chattisgarh ; to understand the health problems faced by tribal communities anddiscover how a bunch of doctors are changing their lives for the better.

The Fellows are currently working on creating travelogue documentaries of their road-trips, and plan touse them in the near future to run campaigns.

Grassroutes is best understood andexperienced when you throw yourpreset notions away and stop trying toanalyze everything that you comeacross. It can change you in ways youdidn’t know you could be changed.

- Anurag Dutta,

Grassroutes Fellow 2008

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Applying for the Program

EligibilityThe following conditions have to be met by candidates for the Grassroutes Fellowship Program

1. Only Indian nationals below the age of 25 as of April 2009 are allowed to apply.2. Applications are invited in teams of 3-4. (Read Selection process for more details)3. Candidates are required to be present full-time for a period of 15 days in the second half of June

ApplicationThe Application form consists of 3 parts

1. Personal Details , (to be filled by all team members individually )2. Individual Questions (to be filled by all team members individually ) and3. Team Questions (to be filled by the team as a whole ).

The application process has been tailored to be quite rigorous and demanding, reflecting the true natureof the Grassroutes program itself. Apart from a set of essay-questions, each team is required to run amini-campaign on a social cause of their choice. The experience is designed in a way to help thecandidates realize whether they are a good fit for the Grassroutes program. For further details, pleaseread through the application forms.

Selection CriteriaEach question in the application forms details the rationale behind the question, and the specific qualityof the candidate that we are seeking to evaluate. Here is a round-up of the same.

An ideal Grassroutes Fellow would

Have a passion for the core Grassroutes values of social entrepreneurship and social journalismHave an open mind, ready to learn and unlearnHave a penchant for travelTranslate inspiration into sustained positive actionBe a doer. (And yeah, being a good talker is important too)Learn from experiencesBe tenaciousBe conversant with social media tools

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An ideal Grassroutes team would

Consist of an eclectic mix of youth with complementary skill setsBe able to collaborate over long distances and time periodsEfficiently share responsibilities and deliver on timeBe able to run campaigns as a team

Selection ProcessThe selection process is divided into two stages.

Stage 1: Online ApplicationAll applications will be evaluated against our selection criteria at an individual level, as well as a teamapplication. If an individual of a team does not meet the minimum standards to be a GrassroutesFellow, the whole team will be deemed as not meeting the standards to proceed to the next stage. Ergo,candidates are strongly encouraged to build their team judiciously, focusing on getting together a teamof highly qualified and passionate youth. The parameters that we used to judge the application criteriaare mentioned in the previous section.

Stage 2: Telephonic Interview The teams selected from the first stage will have a telephonic interview with one of our judges. Thisstage will involve further assessment of the interests and commitment levels of the individual. This willprovide an opportunity for the candidate to better understand the requirements of the program.

Mapping teams to partner organizations (non-profits)The teams which pass through both selection stages are mapped to our partner non-profit organizationsbased on their interests, skill sets and also the requirement of the organizations. Both the teams andthe partner organizations are engaged in the mapping process. To the best extent possible, all selectedteams will be mapped to organizations working in sectors that they evinced interest in. This is to ensuregreater impact to the fellows and to be of greater value to the host organization.

Important DatesDates Timeline20 Mar 2009 Application process starts 20 Apr 2009 Application process ends30 Apr 2009 Announcement on teams selected for telephonic interview03 May 2009 Telephonic interviews start 14 May 2009 Announcement on the final teams for Grassroutes 2009 Summer Ed.2nd half of June 15 days (Day Zero + Road-trip + Post-road-trip processes)

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Program Structure

Pre-trip OrientationThe Grassroutes orientation is an intensive month long process where the Fellows embark on a steeplearning curve, learning about various facets of the social sector and the tools required as a changeagent. It is designed to help the Fellows make the best out of their road-trip in terms of learning and toequip them with adequate tools and knowledge to run campaigns for the community.

The orientation process will begin after the Fellows have been selected through the application processand continue until the beginning of the road-trip. The orientation program is mainly non-residential andinformation is provided to the Fellows over internet and phone.

Purpose of the orientation program:Through the orientation program we aim to:

Bridge the knowledge gap about the social sector by helping Fellows understand the vastnessand rich diversity of the sector.Help fellows get a deeper understanding of the community and the non-profit organization thatthey will be associated with during the course of the program

Resource material During the orientation, the Fellows will be provided access to a wiki with a plethora of resources on thefollowing topics

Driving change through social enterpriseCreating sustainable and scalable high-impact organizationsCase studies and inspirational stories of change-makersUsing social media for social changeFilm-making: Using the tape to tell compelling storiesFund raising models

The Grassroutes Fellows Network, both from 2008 and 2009, will curate the wiki.

Planning the road-tripDuring this phase, the teams get in touch with their respective mapped non-profit organizations andengage in a conversation culminating in a plan for the road-trip phase. This is in order to ensure that theFellows have a good understanding of their objectives during the road-trip.

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Day ZeroAs a culmination of the pre-trip orientation, a 2-day residential event called ‘Day Zero’ will be held justbefore the road-trip . All Fellows are ‘required’ t o attend this event as a condition of their Fellowship.This will serve as a platform for all selected Fellows to meet and interact with each other and with otherGrassroutes alumni and distinguished change-makers.

A sample Day Zero schedule would resemble this:

IntroductionsTalks by social entrepreneurs/journalists

Talks on the power of media and tips on effective usage of mediaPresentation by the Grassroutes alumniPresentations of the preparation that has been made for the trip and expectations from theroad-trip by the Fellow teamsVideo making workshopTalks relating to travel experiencesSafety and first aid

Note :

Pre-trip orientation is a very intense program with a packed schedule. Fellows will be introduced to asmany people and concepts as possible to make their work in the field effective. Fellows should bementally prepared to devote their full attention and energy to understanding the Grassroutes program,and its approach to development. High levels of commitment in both time and learning aptitude areexpected from the Fellows. Grassroutes holds the right to withdraw the Fellowship in case any team isnot showing the required commitment levels or fails to attend the Day Zero event.

Day Zero was a day of listening to somevery experienced people. Definitelyone of the most inspiring days of my

life

- Abhishek Nayak,Grassroutes Fellow 2008

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Road-trip

During the road-trip, arguably the most exciting part of the program, Fellows will

Travel to their destination and spend a week there trying to research and understand the on-ground reality – the problem at hand, the non-profits, the change-makers and their actions, thecommunity and the local government.Play the role of social journalists and capture the stories of all the people involved in communitydevelopment: the local folks, the change-makers.Be an activist by lending a helping hand to the change-makers and use their skill-set to help thelocal community in their own little ways.

Complete the road-trip experience by exploring more sights and sounds around their place of stay.

Post road-trip

The period after the road-trip, when Fellows are fresh from their enriching road-trip experience, is highon action and will enable the Fellows to learn the art of creating social impact and inspire more youthinto social action.After the road-trip, Fellows are expected to meet the requirements detailed in the following sections,along with the following activities.

Serve as an ambassador for the non-profit after the road-tripDesign and run campaigns to benefit the NGO (and its community) and engage more people intheir efforts to support its activities.Use social media to bring to fore the stories and experiences from their tripScreen travelogue videos of their trips in various colleges, conferences and festivals to inspiremore youth into social action.

Grassroutes is an amazing way to getout of your comfort zone. Goexplore and bring back exemplarystories from the grassroots.

- Rachit Chandra, Grassroutes

Fellow 2008

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Program RequirementsIn order for Fellows to prepare for this experience and successfully complete the Grassroutes Fellowshipprogram a few specific requirements are mentioned below, which are conditions of the Fellowship.

Commitment and ResponsibilityIt will be the responsibility of the Grassroutes Family (including the team, mentors, advisors and partnerorganizations) to

Conduct a transparent and efficient selection process for the FellowshipProvide extensive mentoring and knowledge support pre-road trip to ensure maximum impactFoster a healthy association between the Fellows and partner non-profit organizationsConduct an inspiring Day Zero event with high-quality speakers and modulesProvide continuous and extensive support in all forms needed during the road-tripHelp in structuring post road-trip campaignsProvide for online infrastructure needed for post road-trip campaignsRespond to all support requests within 48 hours

It will be the responsibility of the Fellows and their respective teams to

Provide genuine information to Grassroutes at all stages of the programParticipate intensively in pre road-trip orientationReach out to the assigned partner non-profit organization, begin conversations and structurethe road-tripAbide by all Grassroutes ground rules during the road-tripDemonstrate excellent project management skills after the road-tripUnderstand, appreciate and support all secondary deliverables of the Grassroutes Program(surveys, questionnaires etc)Design, and run an effective social campaign with due tenacityRespond to all communication within 48 hours

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DocumentationFellows are expected to extensively document their travel experiences in pre-formatted reports, andcustom channels like blogs, Twitter, audio and videos. This exercise is crucial because

The stories and experiences that the Fellows bring back have tremendous inspirational andconversational value. It is these stories that will form the foundation for the campaigns.It aids in keeping the Grassroutes program transparent to the community, and showcases thelearning experience that Fellows undergo.It provides a solid base for Grassroutes and its Fellows network to create tangible systemicchange in the communities of our partner non-profit organizations

CommunicationFellows are expected to have adequate access to phone and internet throughout the program. This iscrucial to constant mentoring and support both before and after the road-trip.

Though, most of the communication will be limited to e-mail, weekly teleconferences will be held duringthe course of the program. This is to provide a common platform for the Fellows, the Grassroutes teamand the board of mentors and advisors to discuss and collaborate. The Fellows are expected to take partin all the calls, take lead in the discussions, list the minutes of the meetings and use them in the reportsdetailed in the following section.

Agreement All chosen fellows will be required to sign an agreement accepting that they understand theaforementioned requirements of the program and will deliver on the deliverables mentioned in thefollowing section.

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Program DeliverablesThe deliverables expected from Grassroutes at the end of the program can be categorized under 3headings

1. Reports2. Media3. Campaign

ReportsThree different reports are expected from the Fellows

Pre Road-trip report As an end-result of the month long pre-trip orientation, each team of Fellows will submit a report incollaboration with our partner non-profit organization that they will be scheduled to visit. This reportwill detail their understanding of the issue at hand and an outline of their planned activities during thetrip

Daily reportsDuring the road-trip, Fellows will create pre-formatted daily reports to keep track of their experiences.

Post road-trip report This report would be a collection of road-trip stories and experiences of the Fellows. It will capture theenthusiasm, learning, joy, and process of change that the Fellows embarked on. The report willexemplify the Grassroutes objective of translating inspiration into sustained, positive action beyond theroad-trip itself.

Media

PhotosStories are best told through images. Fellows will be trained on basic photography skills, and the art of conveying compelling stories through photo essays.

VideosTravelogue documentaries form one of the most exciting deliverables of the Grassroutes Program. TheFellows will be trained on basic filming skills and on the art of creating storyboards for documentaries.The Fellows are expected to work with our media partners diligently to bring out the documentaries.

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BlogsFellows are expected to share their stories with the community through blogs on the Grassrouteswebsite, personal blogs, and online partner sites. Fellows will be given adequate knowledge training onthe art of story-telling on blogs and using them to generate conversations and social change.

Twitter Arrangements will be made for Fellows to live-blog their road-trips using Twitter as a channel. Fellowswill be imparted with adequate knowledge to make the best use of Twitter, build a community of followers interested in their road-trip and use the community to generate conversations and socialchange.

Social Networks

Using social media and networks for social change is at a nascent stage in India, and Grassroutes aims toequip its Fellows to be pioneers in this field. With access an extensive knowledge bank of case studies,and mentors, Fellows will be required to use social media as a vital component of their campaigns.

Campaign

The culmination of the Grassroutes Program and the most demanding stage of the Program, this stageexpects the Grassroutes Fellows to design and run a campaign to address one of the problems the localcommunity they visited during the road-trip faced.

The objectives of this campaign are toEnable Fellows to understand and experience first-hand the process of driving social actionSupport the local community and the work of the partner non-profit organizationInspire a larger section of people (particularly, youth) into social action

A few examples of campaigns:

Raise resources to setup a library in a rural schoolsFind and implement ICT tools to help the communityDevelop sustainable revenue channels for a non-profit programOrganize events (plays, discussions), fund-raising campaigns to spread awareness about a cause.

The campaign is a condition of the Fellowship. The duration of the campaign, based on prior experience,would be around 3-6 months. During the course of this campaign, the Fellows are expected to lead theprocess in a structured, proactive manner; prepare bi-weekly reports; participate in teleconferenceswith Grassroutes mentors and team; document their experience and create significant social impact.

The campaign will make extensive use of media captured during the road-trips and online infrastructuresupport provided by Grassroutes.

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Post-script

You have reached the end of the handbook. Traversing through 12 pages of text in these times whereshort attention-spans are the norm is a huge achievement in itself. Congratulations!

We might have asked for several commitments from you in this handbook. In exchange, we promise theexperience of a lifetime. We assure you that it will have a deep personal impact on you, as a humanbeing.

If you still think the program is too demanding or long or strenuous (or heck, a waste of time), we wouldlove to hear from you. Please send us a mail at team@grassroutes.in . The program design is a mixture of experience from our previous edition and inputs from various advisors who are noted socialentrepreneurs, change agents, journalists and travelers, and is designed to create a lasting impact onthe Fellow, the local community and the non-profit partners.

We really hope you apply for the Grassroutes Fellowship Program this summer of 2009. If you have priorcommitments, keep a watch on our website for the next edition. We would be grateful if you can showus some love and recommend this program to interested friends of yours.

Apply Now!

Reach us at team@grassroutes.in orCall Keerthikiran on +91 90083 02973.

We ’d love to catch up over a cup of coffee.

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Let the world change you and then, you can change the world .

- Che GuevaraMotorcycle Diaries

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