March 19 – April 30, 2021 (Cohort 0) · 12 Students
Cohort 0 Fellows + Facilitators
See Curriculum and Speakers.
Execute Big Fellowship is a six-week virtual program to introduce beginner students to the interdisciplinary world of computer science.
Our introductory program places an emphasis on learning about technology at work rather than traditional computer programming course experience. With a highly-personalized, interactive educational model, cohorts will leave with a nuanced understanding of the industry, professional mentorship, and a technical computer programming background to seal the deal.
This is an archive of a past Fellowship cohort.
Missed it? Visit
Fellowship for information about our current/next cohort!
Explore First
A career in technology seems synonymous with a computer programming desk job, but it doesn’t have to be. By facilitating experiences with many different industries and opportunities, we enable our fellows to take back the power to dictate their future and explore first.
Personalized for Every Fellow
At Execute Big, our core philosophy postulates that every single student deserves the chance to discover their spark. Computer science is an exciting, powerful field, but it is also one that is often inaccessible to students from demographically underprivileged backgrounds. We believe that a student shouldn’t experience less simply because they don’t live in a region with bountiful tech opportunities or attend a school with computer science classes. Our fellowship gives these students an opportunity they might not otherwise have to discover a spark for computer science.
A Chance for Everyone
A computer science education is hard to come by, and it can make technology seem like a far-away universe to students who don’t have access to computer science experiences. So, we shape this fellowship around these students, providing nuanced computer science curriculum and enabling students to acquire both professional and technical know-how for their future.
Weekly Schedule
This is a tentative weekly schedule at the Fellowship. All office hours are scheduled indivually between the students and the facilitators, and all weekend events will be pre-scheduled.
| Day(s) |
Activity |
Led By |
| M/Tu/W/Th |
Career/Academic Office Hours |
Facilitators |
| M/Tu/W/Th |
Technical Office Hours |
Facilitators |
| F/Sa |
AMAs & Guest Lectures |
Guest Speakers |
| Su |
Workshops |
Facilitators |
You can view our weekly curriculum here ».
FAQs
Who runs the Fellowship?
The Fellowship is run by Execute Big, a nonprofit organization dedicated to making computer science education accessible for everyone. It will be
facilitated by the co-founders of the organization: Megan Cui (Harvard ‘23) and Mingjie Jiang (UC Berkeley ‘24). You can check out their profiles here ».
Who can apply?
Execute Big Fellowship is aimed at students currently attending 9th to 11th grade of high school. At this time, we are only able to accept students attending school in the United States, and students will need to receive a nomination from a teacher to apply. If you are unable to find a teacher sponsor but are still interested in applying, please email fellowship@executebig.org.
Can seniors apply?
Unfortunately, our fellowship is meant to help students develop their post-secondary plans, whether it’s going into the workforce or going to college, and many high school seniors have already applied to specific majors at universities or accepted specific job offers that would make our fellowship less helpful. For seniors, we recommend that you check out our friends at CodeDay Labs (not affiliated) – an online internship program to kick off your career in tech.
How do students apply?
We require that every student receive a nomination from a teacher to apply. After they have communicated with their teacher about the program and the nomination process, they can submit their application. The application will not require any technical knowledge or experience to complete — we are more interested in learning about the student’s creativity and character through the application process.
When will I be notified if I am accepted?
Student applications are due February 19th, and we will release our decisions within 2 days after the application deadline. All applicants will receive an email with their decisions and next steps.
How many students will you select?
We will admit around 15 students for the current cohort. We keep our cohorts small in order to allow us to better personalize the program for our students.
How much does it cost?
The Fellowship is completely free for students during the pilot. Execute Big is funded by donors and sponsors — you can donate to us here ».
When are activities held?
We expect that most of our synchronous sessions will be held on Saturdays and Sundays, and if we do schedule sessions during the week, they will happen after school or be asynchronous. Additionally, students can schedule office hours with the facilitators at their own convenience.
What is the time commitment required from students?
Students should expect to have a time commitment of at least 5 hours per week, with the majority of events occuring on Saturdays and Sundays. Our facilitators will be available throughout the week to schedule office hours with students for additional support.
Can I apply if I don't know how to code?
Absolutely! The Fellowship will be 100% personalized for the background and skill level of the current cohort of students, so no prior experience is required to apply.
I have more questions!
We’re more than happy to help out. Please send an email to fellowship@executebig.org, and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
Credits
This program is inspired by models developed by initiatives like CodeDay, Build the Future DeCal, Cal Hacks, Hack Club, as well as various fellowship programs and hackathons. We’re proud to be able to devote our resources to making tech education more accessible for all.
