THE FELLOWSHIP

A year of service for visionaries who rise above polarization to strengthen the future of our democracy.

The Civic Bridgers Fellowship immerses emerging professionals in a year of bridge-building service at a nonprofit or public agency.

Every assignment is different, but one thing holds true: Fellows model, apply, and transfer bridging skills in service of their communities.

Four young people walking on sidewalk and laughing.

FELLOWSHIP STRUCTURE

AMERICORPS provides Fellows a living stipend and other benefits.

AmeriCorps VISTA Logo in black with red and white strips, and a white star over blue.

CIVIC BRIDGERS provides Fellows with professional development in bridging.

Civic Bridgers logo, C and b in teal and white.

HOSTS provide Fellows a full-time job where they exercise bridging skills.

Logos of hosts Project for Pride in Living, Cultural Wellness Center, Great MN Schools, Community Power, Minnesota Humanities Center, and Minnesota Multifaith Network.

Hosts vary by year and include nonprofits and public agencies. The images above represent our 2024 partners.

The Fellowship offers an uncommon opportunity for rising leaders to launch into a life of impact by bridging cultural and ideological differences.

Through workshops and applied practice, participants learn evidence-based strategies for moving from conflict toward convergence.

TOPICS OF STUDY INCLUDE

  • Moral foundations theory: a psychology-based theory of the origins of human morality

  • Intercultural Conflict Styles: a culturally responsive model that measures approaches to conflict 

  • Media Literacy: frameworks for vetting media sources in an atomized, user-generated landscape

  • Digital Citizenship: frameworks for constructive online engagement

  • Neuroscience: the cognition of tribalism and the mental shortcuts that inform perceptions

ELIGIBILITY

  • Must be 18 years old by service start date.

  • Must be a U.S. citizen, legal permanent resident, refugee, asylee, or DACA recipient. 

  • Must be able to commit to a year-long program from August 2025 - August 2026, with a full-time work week (a typical workweek is 35 hours per week daytime hours, Monday-Friday, but individual host sites may have their own guidelines).

  • Live and work in Minnesota during the 2025-26 term of service

QUALIFICATIONS

  • Academic Requirement: Applicants must have earned (or will earn by the start of the Fellowship) an associate’s or bachelor’s degree or trades certification from a recognized institution. In the absence of a degree or certification, equivalent workforce experience will be considered.

  • Eligible Degrees: This includes a wide range of academic disciplines and trades.

  • Leadership: The Fellowship looks for applicants who have demonstrated leadership abilities in their academic, professional, or extracurricular pursuits. This can include leadership in student organizations, professional work, social impact projects, or other leadership roles where you made a meaningful difference.

  • Language: Applicants must be fluent in English, as all programs are conducted in English. This is a general requirement for our programs.

MEET THE 2024-2025 FELLOWS

  • Rashaunea Ambers-Winston

    Cultural Wellness Center
    Administrative Assistant

    Hometown: North Minneapolis, Minnesota

  • Apollo Battey

    Minnesota Multifaith Network
    Community Engagement Fellow

    Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio

  • Khaliah Booker

    Project for Pride in Living
    Education & Community Engagement Liaison

    Hometown: St. Louis, Missouri

  • Katie Fayad

    Civic Bridgers
    Program Engagement Coordinator

    Hometown: Anderson, South Carolina

  • Hannah Gwaltney

    Community Power MN
    Logistics & Capacity Builder

    Hometown: Rochester, Minnesota

  • Aleia Johnson

    Great MN Schools
    Community Outreach Coordinator

    Hometown: Rochester, Minnesota

  • Jasmine Nguyen

    Civic Bridgers
    Program Engagement Coordinator

    Hometown: Lorton, Virginia

  • Mackenzie Whitehead-Bust

    Minnesota Humanities Center
    Writing & Research Fellow

    Hometown: Denver, Colorado

Application Process

Applicants are accepted on a rolling basis with only six total positions available.

STAGE 1
Application &
Screening

FEBRUARY 1 - MAY 31, 2025

Letter of recommendation (usually from professors, mentors, or professionals who know you well and can speak to leadership potential

A resume detailing academic achievements, work experience, leadership roles, and any community service or extracurricular activities.

Personal statement that explores your leadership experiences and your vision for strengthening American democracy through bridging.

15-minute phone screening.

STAGE 2
Interview &
Offer

JUNE 1 - JUNE 30, 2025

30-minute virtual or in-person interview.

The interview process is competitive and typically focuses on assessing the applicant's leadership potential and alignment with the program’s mission and norms.

STAGE 3
Match &
Onboard

JULY 1 - AUGUST 31, 2025

  1. Sign agreement with Civic Bridgers  and undergo Americorps employment eligibility check.

  2. Interview with partners (local nonprofits and public agencies) to find a mutual match for their year of service. Both Hosts and Fellows are guaranteed placement (contingencies notwithstanding) and match according to best possible fit.

  3. Participate in an in-person, week-long orientation in principles of bridging.

Interested in hosting a Fellow? Here’s how it works.

  • Hands shaking.

    Connect

    Reach out to jill@civicbridgers.org to schedule a 1:1 meeting to discuss partnership with Civic Bridgers and learn how a CIvic Bridger can unlock your nonprofit or agency’s potential.

  • Hands writing on paper.

    Retain / Recruit / Review

    Hosts may (1) retain their current Fellow for a second year of service, (2) recruit their own candidate, OR (3) review applications from our pool of early-career professionals.

  • Two people looking and pointing at paper.

    Interview

    During Interview Day, all hosts and Fellows join together for speed-dating-style interviews. Fellows and Hosts who are not already matched rank their top choices and receive a pairing based on the best alignment.

  • Youth sitting around table together.

    Onboard & Serve

    Once you have matched with a candidate, you will onboard them for a year of service. Fellows continue to receive bi-weekly professional development from Civic Bridgers.

OUR PARTNERS IN BRIDGING

 Prospective Fellows FAQs

  • Eligibility:

    • Must be 18 years old by service start date.

    • Must be a U.S. citizen, legal permanent resident, refugee, asylee, or DACA recipient. 

    • Must be able to commit to a year-long program from August 2025 - August 2026, with a full-time work week (35 hours per week daytime hours, Monday-Friday).

    • Live and work in Minnesota during the 2025-26 term of service

    Qualifications:

    • Academic Requirement: Applicants must have earned (or will earn by the start of the Fellowship) an associate’s or bachelor’s degree or trades certification from a recognized institution. In the absence of a degree or certification, equivalent workforce experience will be considered.

    • Eligible Degrees: All academic disciplines and trades.

    • Leadership: The Fellowship looks for applicants who have demonstrated leadership abilities in their academic, professional, or extracurricular pursuits. This can include leadership in student organizations, professional work, social impact projects, or other leadership roles where you made a meaningful difference.

    • Language: Applicants must be fluent in English, as all programs are conducted in English. This is a general requirement for our programs.

  • The Civic Bridgers Fellowship is offered in partnership with AmeriCorps VISTA. AmeriCorps VISTA members are not employed by their matched organization. Rather, VISTA members serve to build capacity and eliminate poverty.

    • $24,962 annual living stipend ($960.07 bi-weekly)

    • Up to $1,000 in relocation reimbursement assistance (based on the direct mileage between the ZIP code of your home of record and the ZIP code of your project site)

    • Earn a $6,895 education award for current/future education costs OR opt for the end-of-service cash stipend benefit of $1,800

    • And more!

    Check out the full list of AmeriCorps VISTA Member benefits here.

    • 80+ hours of evidence-based training in bridge-building mindsets and practices

    • Professional and peer mentorship with alumni and industry leaders

    • Bi-weekly professional development meetings

    • Access to relevant conferences, events, webinars, and more

Commitment to Inclusion

To thrive as a diverse, plural society, communities throughout America must address local and national issues with compassionate dialogue, intercultural competency, and collective action. Civic Bridgers is designed to meet this need so that our diverse country can be an inclusive and thriving society where all voices matter and where no person is marginalized for their identity. This is an aspirational goal toward which we can contribute but not achieve alone. We commit to establishing partnerships that fuel the people, institutions, and collective movements that are catalyzing a more empathic, collaborative, and inclusive society. Additionally, we commit to elevating narratives that affirm the power and possibility of bridging divides, and counter narratives that seek to divide us.

Equal Opportunity Employer Statement

Civic Bridgers is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind in any part of our business and partnerships. Building a diverse and inclusive team is key central to our values and mission, and essential for our success. We humbly strive to ensure that the Civic Bridgers team environment is intentionally inclusive and reflective of the communities we serve. We hire talent with a transparent and equitable process for all who apply. All employment decisions are made without regard to age, race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, medical history, or any other protected statuses. We believe our differences make us stronger and encourage all interested candidates to apply.

If you need application assistance or reasonable accommodation due to a disability, please contact jill@civicbridgers.org.

Ready to explore partnership?