Skills and Training in Action Research (STAR) SPARK Collaborative Communications Fellowship

The Urban Institute is seeking a part-time consultant who will be designated as a Skills and Training in Action Research (STAR) Fellow focused on supporting our communications goals. A STAR Fellow is a current or recent student who has lived expertise relevant to this position. STAR Fellowships are an initiative under the Student-Parent Action through Research Knowledge (SPARK) Collaborative. As a STAR Fellow, you will be a paid member of the project leadership team while also supporting project operations and learning about how to engage in effective research and communications geared toward informing action.

As a STAR Fellow, you will work with a team to help guide the SPARK Collaborative and fulfill its communications goals. This may include curating our social media presence, crafting and publishing social media posts, boosting our social media engagement, updating our webpage, designing event announcements, supporting the publication of our newsletter and blogs, and working with team members to support shared communications goals. The SPARK Collaborative Working Board will provide formalized mentorship, leadership development, and knowledge supports to STAR fellows. The project will operate in partnership with the Pregnant Scholar Initiative at the Center for WorkLife Law at the University of California College of the Law—San Francisco and Child Trends. This position is supported by a grant from Imaginable Futures.

We are seeking candidates with direct experience relevant to being a parenting student.

These contracted positions are budgeted until March 2027, and would require a commitment of 2-4 hours each week.  Aside from team virtual meetings every other week, this work can be done asynchronously; you are welcome to complete your work remotely and on whatever schedule works best for you. 

There might be an opportunity to reassess the consulting relationship and renew the agreement after one year. Compensation will be paid based on hours worked at $55 per hour as a consultant. 

About the SPARK Collaborative:

The Student-Parent Action through Research Knowledge (SPARK) Collaborative is a cross-organizational program within Urban’s Work, Education, and Labor Division. The SPARK Collaborative promotes practice, policy, and systems change related to parenting students, through partnership and shared learning across stakeholders—including parenting students themselves, schools and colleges, school and college systems, nonprofit organizations, philanthropies, community-based partners, government agencies, and others who support their efforts. 

What you’ll do: 

• Contribute to strategic and logistical planning, including developing outreach and communication strategies for the SPARK Collaborative as a whole and subnetworks within SPARK.
• Design and post social media content each week.
• Design and share event announcements.
• Assist with updating our webpage and supporting the publication of our newsletter and blogs, as needed.
• Contribute to products such as blog posts or presentations about our work.

What you’ll bring: 

A successful candidate will:

• Be a current or recent graduate or undergraduate student (enrolled within the last two years: spring term 2024-current term). Students in workforce, vocational, or noncredit programs are also eligible.
• Demonstrate interest in issues related to parenting college students.
• Have experience, formal or informal, in developing a social media brand identity and/or creating posts and images for professional/organizational social media accounts. A communications education background or professional (including intern) experience in communications is a plus.
• Be detail oriented and able to manage your time and projects with minimal supervision.
• Have the ability to communicate verbally and in written form, work with a team, work independently, and think critically to solve problems.
• Understand and demonstrate respectful approaches to engaging and communicating with individuals of differing backgrounds and experience.
• Employ strengths-based perspectives when talking about particular groups or contexts.
• Show a strong willingness to learn, adapt, and suggest improvements.
• Preferred, but not required: Be familiar with key players in the policy and funding ecosystem that supports education pathways for parents.

We value lived experience, and we encourage candidates with personal familiarity with parenting while in college, and/or other parallel lived experience to apply. 

What you’ll experience: 

No matter your role with Urban, you will contribute to meaningful work that makes a difference for people and communities across the country. And whether you call the Washington, DC area or elsewhere home, you can expect to be part of a welcoming and hybrid workplace. We are committed to cultivating a community and working in a manner defined by collaboration, equity, inclusivity, independence, and integrity.

Urban’s greatest asset is our people.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of the work being performed by the people assigned. This posting is not an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, and requirements. Urban management reserves the right to amend and change duties, responsibilities, and requirements to meet business and organizational needs as necessary.

The Urban Institute is an equal-opportunity employer and is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace. All qualified candidates will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender or gender identity, age, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, veteran status, pregnancy or family responsibilities, matriculation, disability, political affiliation, or any other protected status under applicable law.

We are committed to equal employment opportunity and providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with physical and/or mental disabilities. If you have a physical and/or mental disability and are interested in applying for employment and need special accommodations to use our website to respond to this request for applications, please contact SPARK@studentparentaction.org.

About the Urban Institute:

At the Urban Institute, we believe in the power of evidence to improve lives and strengthen communities. As a nonprofit focusing on social and economic policy, our researchers and policy entrepreneurs open minds, shape decisions, and identify transformative solutions to the most pressing issues of our time. For more information on the Urban Institute, please visit https://www.urban.org.

Our Mission

To open minds, shape decisions, and offer solutions through economic and social policy research.

Our Values

Collaboration, Equity, Inclusivity, Independence, and Integrity.

How to respond to this posting: 

Please complete this application form by April 15, 2026. The form asks the following questions:

• First and last name
• Phone number
• Email address
• Are you at least 18 years old?
• Do you live in the United States?
• (If yes:) State or territory where you live:
• Are you authorized to work in the United States?
• Do you require sponsorship now to work for an employer in the United States as a foreign worker?
• Have you ever been employed by Urban Institute in any capacity?
• Are you currently a student in a certificate (college, vocational, or workforce/noncredit), undergraduate, or graduate program?
  • Yes
  • No
• (If no:) Have you been a student in a certificate, undergraduate, or graduate program in the last two years (spring term 2024-current term)?
  • Yes
  • No
• Where do you attend school now? Or where did you last attend school?
  • School name (no abbreviations):
  • School city:
  • School state:
• What program level are you enrolled in or were you last enrolled? (Select all that apply if you were in more than one program at the same time.)
• Certificate (college or workforce/noncredit)
  • Associate’s degree
  • Bachelor’s degree
  • Master’s degree
  • Doctoral degree
  • Other (specify:)
• What degree or certificate programs are you enrolled in or were you last enrolled? Please include your major and/or department as applicable.
  • Program 1 name:
  • Program 2 name (optional):
• What is the highest degree or credential you have completed?  Please include your degree type and/or major as applicable.
  • High school diploma or equivalent
  • College or noncredit certificate (specify)
  • Associate’s degree (specify)
  • Bachelor’s degree (specify)
  • Master’s degree (specify)
  • Doctoral degree (specify)
  • Other (specify)
• Please describe your direct experience relevant to being a parenting student or your parallel lived expertise.
• Please describe your experience with social media, particularly designing a strategy for an organization or initiative, as well as what platforms you have used. If you have not had this experience, please describe how you would approach this type of communications work.
• Please describe what interests you about the SPARK Collaborative. Or you may indicate questions, ideas, or suggestions that might be helpful to develop SPARK’s communications.
• Please describe one to three issues that you think could be better understood by the public, policymakers, educators, or administrators related to student parents. For each, describe the issue, why it’s important, and what you think should be done about it. We want to understand your interest and thinking about opportunities for policy or practice change to support student parents.
• Please describe what else you hope to gain from this opportunity. Be as broad or specific as you would like.
• Is there additional information regarding your educational background that you would like to include?
• Optional: Attach a resume or CV.
• Optional: Attach examples of social media design work or posts.
• Thank you so much for your time and interest. Is there anything else you would like the Urban Institute or SPARK Collaborative team to know?