Deadline: 13-Jan-23
Ready to join the network of leaders in the movement to end hunger in the U.S.? If Yes, Then, apply for the 2023-2024 Bill Emerson National Hunger Fellowship.
The Emerson Fellowship is a program of the Congressional Hunger Center, a bipartisan nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., whose mission is to develop, inspire, and connect leaders in the movement to end hunger, and to advocate for public policies that create a food-secure world.
During the 11-month fellowship, Bill Emerson National Hunger Fellows develop a deep understanding of effective solutions to hunger and poverty, and their own roles in achieving Zero Hunger in the United States. Following orientation and field training in Washington, D.C., Emerson Fellows spend five months with community-based organizations throughout the United States. In mid-February fellows return to Washington for a second placement with organizations and government agencies focused on national anti-hunger and anti-poverty policy. Throughout the fellowship, fellows hone essential skills and form a strong professional cohort through in-person trainings, retreats, and professional development sessions.
Award Information
- Emerson Fellows typically receive financial packages of no less than $48,000 over the duration of the fellowship.
- Graduate School Partnerships Emerson alums pursuing masters’ degrees in public health or public policy at select institutions of higher learning are eligible for significant discounts on tuition. As of 2022 the Hunger Center maintains partnerships with Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College and the University of Virginia’s Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy.
- Other Benefits Emerson Fellows also gain:
- Membership in a dynamic learning community of fellows;
- Connection to an extensive network of alums, partners, and experts;
- Experience working with community and policy leaders;
- Training, mentoring, and leadership development; and
- Project management experience.
How does the Fellowship Work?
- The Emerson Fellowship develops effective leaders in the movement to end hunger and poverty in the U.S. During their year in the program fellows develop their leadership skills and gain hands-on experience through placements with host organizations at the local, state, regional, and national levels.
- Field Placements For the first six months Emerson Fellows are placed with organizations across the U.S. with a local or regional focus, including food banks, anti-hunger/ anti-poverty advocacy groups, food policy councils, research institutions, and state, local, and regional government agencies.
- Policy Placements For the second half of the fellowship, Emerson Fellows shift their focus to national anti-hunger and anti-poverty policy through placements with national advocacy groups, think tanks, and federal government agencies.
Training And Skills
- Orientation: The fellowship begins with a comprehensive orientation exploring the history of hunger and poverty in the United States, including their root causes, and the importance of applying a racial equity lens to anti-hunger and anti-poverty work. Orientation is also a time for community-building among the fellows.
- Midfield: Retreat Midway through their field placements fellows come together to reflect on their experiences in the field and discuss their key insights about solutions to ending hunger and poverty. They also use this retreat as a time to forge deeper connections with their cohort and the Hunger Center staff.
- Policy: Learning Event In February fellows reconvene to process their field experiences and participate in intensive policy training. Fellows learn how national public policy is developed and implemented, and the roles of the federal government, advocacy groups, lobbyists, thinktanks, and other organizations in the legislative process. Fellows also receive briefings from experts on the status of current hunger and poverty policy issues.
Eligibility Criteria
- Here are some of the qualities that successful applicants to the Emerson Fellowship possess:
- A commitment to ending hunger and poverty in the United States
- An ability to adjust and adapt to new situations
- A commitment to racial equity and social justice
- Demonstrated leadership qualities and skills
- An ability to solve problems in creative and innovative ways
- Enthusiasm for learning from a wide variety of individuals with expertise in the area anti-hunger/anti-poverty space
- A willingness to search for new models in anti-hunger and anti-poverty work
- A lived experience with hunger and poverty
- Experience working in low-income communities
- Excitement about peer learning in a tightknit community of fellows
- Bachelor’s degree, or equivalent experience
- U.S. citizenship or permanent legal residency (required)
For more information, visit Congressional Hunger Center.
