Applications now open for WARC School Fellows, Instructors, and Teaching Assistants!
WARC School (Web Archiving School)
WARC School is ATBW’s training program that aims to create a new generation of web archiving practitioners dedicated to documenting the Black experience online. The curriculum supports an inclusive web archiving practice that equally values the development of technical skills and the cultivation of web archiving practices informed by cultural practices and ways of knowing.
Our program runs March–October 2026, and is designed to contribute viable and equitable solutions to increase the available collections of Black web content by training Black memory workers to produce web archive collections and by supporting Black collecting institutions to formally create sustainable web archiving programs.
Learn more about the WARC School Courses.
WARC Fellowship Program
ATBW welcomes applications to our second cohort of WARC School. Selected applicants will join a cohort of 15 individuals for a year-long online training program in web archiving, beginning with a grounding orientation with in-person workshops, knowledge and skill building activities. Participants will receive a $5,000 stipend and covered expenses to participate in an in-person orientation.
Timeline & Location
Eligibility
Application Process
Applications Open: December 2025
Applications Close: January 19, 2026
Admission notification: Early February 2026
WARC School Program
Orientation (Harlem, NYC): March 18-20, 2026
Course 1: April 2026
Course 2: June 2026
Course 3: August 2026
Course 4A (optional for WARC; required for IIWA): September 2026
Course 4B (optional for WARC; required for IIWA): September 2026
Practicum: September 2026
ATBW Conference: October 2026
Note: Orientation is the only in-person requirement of WARC School. All other meetings are hosted on Zoom, and recordings will be available for later viewing. For the in-person orientation, we will follow COVID protocols to ensure we take care of each other while traveling and meeting in indoor spaces.
Classes are held in the evenings Eastern Standard Time.
ATBW’s WARC School is open to people and organizations not currently engaged in web archiving who fall into one or more of these categories:
- Individuals from Black Collecting Organizations such as: Libraries/Archives at Historically Black Colleges and Universities; Public libraries whose mission and collections focus on the Black experience; Independent/Community Based organizations with the mission to collect historical content related to the Black experience.
- Black memory workers with the desire to increase skills or build independent web archives related to the Black experience.
- Any memory worker with primary responsibility for stewarding collections focused on the Black experience.
Participants who are Black, Indigenous, of color, trans, gender non-conforming, queer, disabled, survivors, from low-income backgrounds, and oppressed are especially encouraged to apply.
We welcome applications from international memory workers!
Applications are reviewed by the ATBW’s Team based on their vision to build web archives for their organizations/communities and their intention to create collaborative collections with others working web archived content related to Black history and culture. We look for evidence of a deep dedication to documenting Black life and culture, a commitment to learning and professional growth, and a strong practice of working collaboratively and with/in community.
Applications must be submitted by Monday, January 19, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. PST. The application will include:
- Questions asking for basic contact information, confirmation of eligibility, and a brief statement of qualifications, disability information and accommodation requests
- Sample of Work / Demonstration of Experience
- An essay or video/audio recording addressing the following:
- Why is WARC School training critical to your professional development, and why is the program is relevant to your current work and commitments?
- How does your previous work/education inform your participation in WARC School?
- How will web archiving enhance the collections that you collect or steward?
- What are your aspirations for doing this work in community with other Black memory workers and Black collecting institutions?
- How has Black people’s participation on the Web contributed to Black history and culture and how does your memory work and practice fit into this continuum?
Accessibility
We ask that applicants share disability information and accommodation requests with us in their application materials. Courses are hosted on Zoom, taught in English with automated live captions, automated transcripts, and video recordings. If you have any accessibility requests, please contact us at atbw@shiftcollective.us.