I-Stem fellowship program

People with disabilities continue to face challenges in accessing equal academic and professional opportunities, especially in high-growth industries. With a view to highlight the abilities of people with disabilities and to change the discourse around disability, I-Stem has launched the I-Stem Fellowship Program. The program seeks to identify and support exceptional students and professionals with disabilities interested in working in the corporate world in diverse fields such as engineering, project management, marketing, sales, business development, operations, legal services, HR, etc., and provide them the resources, opportunities, and support to help them develop their skills. Open to all students and young professionals with disabilities (visible or invisible), the program provides year-long 1:1 mentoring with an I-Stem core team member, 1:1 mentoring with an industry professional, and access to several exclusive opportunities, besides a community of other exceptional fellows.

Every fellow receives individualized coaching/consulting to determine what skills they need to achieve their goals. Post this, an individualized plan is developed. An I-Stem core team member works with the fellow for a year to guide them at every step of this plan. Additionally, they are paired up with an industry mentor that provides additional support and guidance.

Based on the fellow's goals, they are recommended to other training and certification programs, and in some cases, financially supported to complete these programs.

I-Stem fellows join the I-Stem community which is already 4,000 members strong. As part of the community, there are several opportunities to network with other members, some of whom are successful professionals in the industry. Additionally, fellows join the I-Stem Fellows community which receive exclusive invitation to special events and opportunities.

I-Stem provides an interview preparation package to help fellows prepare for technical interviews and also conducts mock interviews to give them a feel for the actual interviews.

The fellow receives a fully paid trip to our partners' event in Bangalore in December which includes learning and networking opportunities with our corporate partners, successful professionals with and without disabilities across industries, and much more.

I-Stem works closely with several corporate partners with some of them actively engaged in our fellowship program. While it is impossible to guarantee placement on the completion of the fellowship program, I-Stem team works with each fellow to help them find the most suitable job and makes connections as required. The corporate mentor also helps advocate or the fellow within their organisation if there is a match.

A pinnacle of the I-Stem Fellowship program is the provision of a two-month long practical internship for selected fellows with I-Stem. This experiential opportunity allows fellows to engage with mentors from our corporate partners and work on real-life projects that reflect the dynamic nature of today's professional world. Through this engagement, fellows get a taste of actual industry practices, evolving their academic knowledge into practical expertise. In line with our commitment to individual development and success, the I-Stem Fellowship program ensures that the practical internships offered are tailored according to the interests of our fellows. Recognizing the unique aspirations of each fellow, the internship assignments are carefully matched to align with their areas of interest.

Any student or young professionals (less than 4 years of work experience) with a visible or invisible disability living in India are eligible.

The 2023 fellowship program is currently in progress. Details for 2024 will be shared soon.