Fellow Team Information

Civic Spring Fellowship: June to August 2024

The Civic Spring Fellowship is an opportunity for teams of five to seven young people in New Jersey to strengthen their civic capacities while addressing an identified community need.

Teams will develop the knowledge and skills to address a community priority while developing strong networks and capacities to drive meaningful change for the long term.

Note: One Team Lead will be responsible for submitting an application on behalf of their team and intended project.

If you have additional questions not answered below, please refer to our FAQ section.

More Fellowship Information

• Eligibility
• Award
• Selection
• Expectations
• Schedule

Two project teams from New Jersey  will be selected in summer 2024. Projects must include one to two Team Leads and four to five Fellows committed to pursuing a community-based project that addresses a local need. Project proposals must be developed, written, and implemented by Fellows and can relate to topics including—but not limited to—criminal justice, education, community health & wellness, economic opportunity, environment, immigration, transportation, and/or elections. Priority this summer will be given to projects that include voter education and/or engagement in local election components.

Teams will have an assigned Civic Spring Peer Coach to support their work. Fellows and Team Leads will meet weekly for virtual, youth-facilitated Communities of Practice meetings to reflect on learning experiences, collaborate across projects, and engage with civic leaders from across the country.

2024 Civic Spring Fellowships at a Glance:

• Fellowship teams and proposed project must be based in New Jersey.
• Fellowship teams must include one to two Team Leads and four to five Fellows.
• Team Leads can be 14 years old or older; this position is ideal for educators, youth leaders, faith leaders, community members, out-of-school-time program managers, students in college or graduate school, retirees, etc.
• Fellows must be between the ages of 14 and 24.
• Team Leads will receive a stipend of $4,000 (split evenly for co-Leads.)
• Fellows will each receive stipends of $1,800.
• Teams that are part of an organization, school, or other entity are encouraged to apply; however, we welcome applications from groups of young people who seek to work together despite having no formal organizational affiliation.
• All Fellows are expected to dedicate about 10 hours per week to the Fellowship experience.
• Team Leads will be expected to dedicate approximately 15 hours per week to the Fellowship experience.
• Fellowship teams will co-develop and co-write a project proposal to be submitted by the Team Lead during the application process.
• Team Leads will be responsible for submitting an application on behalf of their project and intended project.
• Teams are expected to complete at least one identified project milestone by Thursday, August 22, 2024.

Eligibility Requirements

• Your full team (including leads and members) and intended project will be based in New Jersey.
• You are between the ages of 14-24 (Team Leads can be 14 or older)
• You are part of a team of 4-5 Fellows and 1-2 team leads
• You can demonstrate that your project proposal addresses an immediate community need
• You have a vision for the kind of change you’d like to create for your community and some ideas for how you might go about creating this change
• You can dedicate approximately 10 hours a week (15 hours for Team Leads) to your proposed project, from June 20 through August 22, 2024
• You commit to attending weekly Community of Practice sessions with the full Civic Spring Fellowship cohort. These sessions will be held every Thursday from 6:00–7:30 p.m. EST
• You have access to technology that will allow you to reach out to individuals in the community, send emails and do independent work
• You can commit to regularly finding a place where you can fully participate in meetings with your camera on

Award

• Fellows will receive $1,800 in two installments, based on participation in the Fellowship and progress on their community-based project
• Team Leads will receive $4,000 in two installments based on the Lead’s leadership role and progress on their community-based projects; if choosing to share leadership, Co-Leads will each receive $2,000.

Selection Information

Below is a list of guiding principles used to decide on the Fellowship awards. This is not the only tool used; additional aspects of the application will also be considered, including but not limited to geographic location and diversity of beliefs and lived experiences.

We are looking for Fellowship Teams who demonstrate the following characteristics:

• Interest and Ability to Do the Work, including:
  • A passion and/or desire to address an immediate community issue or need.
  • A sense of potential obstacles to doing the work and options for overcoming them.
  • Demonstrated ability to reflect on and adapt to challenges and or roadblocks and persistence in working towards goals.
• A Commitment to Community Impact:
  • A clear and compelling reason for the proposed project and how it will impact the community or groups served.
  • Examples of the problem’s urgency and/or priority in the community (i.e., do others agree this is a problem or issue?)
  • Examples of first steps that might be taken.
  • Commitment to engaging with other individuals and/or organizations within your community. 

• Sustainability:
  • A vision for change that exceeds the Fellowship term.   
  • An initial plan for maintaining the progress made during the Fellowship. 
  • A plan to partner with others in your community beyond the Fellowship. 

• Alignment with C&S Mission and Goals:
  • Commitment to understanding the perspectives, opinions, and/or lived experiences of others, including those with whom you disagree.
  • Commitment to CSF goals and priorities

• Evaluation of Project Outcomes:
  • A general sense of activities that will make the project a success and an understanding of how to measure their success/impact (i.e., voter registration drive, community event, public service announcement) 

Expectations

Fellows are expected to:

• Collaborate to develop and write a project proposal, to be submitted as part of the application by the Team Lead.
• Attend the virtual 2024 Civic Spring Fellowship Orientation (Thursday, June 20 from 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. EST)
• Commit to nine weeks of work at 10-15 hours per week, including meetings
• Participate in regular virtual or in-person meetings with your Fellowship Team and an assigned CSF Coach (schedule to be set by teams)
• Participate in no less than seven (7) of the nine (9) weekly Civic Spring Fellowship Communities of Practice (orientation required)
• Complete a mandatory pre- and post-program survey and weekly surveys to assess progress and learning.
• Participate in the completion of a Team final report and an individual program evaluation.
• After the Fellowship period, complete periodic surveys with respect to the program outcomes (quarterly for years 1-2, and annually for years 3-5)

Fellows can expect the following:

• Better understanding of how to identify community needs and different ways to address those needs.
• Increased civic knowledge, skills, and dispositions.
• Weekly coaching support to assist you as you undertake your project.
• Membership in a growing national network of young people working in civic spaces.
• Opportunities to engage with peers who may have differing opinions, beliefs, lived experiences, etc.
• Connections to changemakers, leaders, community members, professionals, and organizations in your community and beyond.

Schedule:

• May 7– May 28: Application open (due by 9:00 a.m. EST on Tuesday, May 28)
• June 6: Grantees notified (by end of day)
• June 7–19: Contracts, release forms & other materials completed (due by 11:59 pm EST)
• June 20: 2024 Civic Spring Orientation (virtual from 6:00–7:30 pm EST)
• Week of June 24– Week of August 19: Project implementation, coaching & weekly meetings (virtual, every Thursday from 6:00–7:30 pm EST)
• August 22: Final Community of Practice & presentations (virtual from 6:00–7:30 pm EST)
• September 22: Final report due by 11:59 pm EST