Civic Bridgers Fellowship
Civic Bridgers Fellowship 2025-26
(Full-time, 12 month program)
About Civic Bridgers
In a time when divides receive more attention than common ground, the Civic Bridgers Fellowship immerses early-career professionals in a year of bridge-building service at a nonprofit or governmental office. Together, they engage diverse perspectives to solve local challenges. We believe our differences need not divide us. Together, we are building a compassionate, collaborative future. Will you be part of the change?
About the Fellowship
Young Americans report acute levels of polarization, declining trust in democratic institutions, and unprecedented receptivity to non-democratic models of governance. This highlights an urgent need to develop civic bridgers: leaders who restore trust and heal divides in service of their country and local community. All Fellows participate in our Inclusive Leadership training program, which includes over 80 hours of learning together with their cohort of Fellows, focused on intercultural communication, navigating conflict, and engaging communities. This Fellowship Program is the ideal opportunity to expand your horizons and launch a life of impact by bridging cultural and ideological differences.
Responsibilities
The Fellowship begins with a week-long orientation followed by bi-weekly, evidence-based professional development focused on three principles of bridging: common humanity, intellectual humility, and shared accountability. During their year of service, Fellows serve full-time as AmeriCorps VISTA members in a local nonprofit organization or government office on defined community-engagement activities. Every assignment is different, but one thing holds true: Fellows model, apply, and transfer bridging skills in service of their communities.
The Civic Bridgers Fellowship is meant to be a transformative experience that builds Fellows’ cross-cultural knowledge, inclusive leadership mindset, and community engagement skills. Fellows will serve diverse communities, build relationships, and learn about their host town through food, art, research, and more. At the end of their service year, Fellows complete a capstone project designed to present their skills and capacity to continue bridging. It is a Fellow’s responsibility to fully participate in activities planned for Fellows, and in the life of the community.
How It Works
- Civic Bridgers forges partnerships with governmental and nonprofit partners.
- Early-career professionals (20s-30s) apply for the Fellowship.
- Once accepted, Fellows interview with partners to find a mutual match for their year of service.
- Fellows participate in an in-person, week-long orientation in principles of bridging.
-
Fellows build capacity and bridge divides during their year of service at their host site and receive bi-weekly professional development.
Living Stipend and Benefits
- $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
- 80+ hours Inclusive Leadership & Community Engagement training
- Professional and peer mentorship
Check out the full list of VISTA member benefits here.
Values
Civic Bridgers holds our staff, advisors, Fellows, and partners to the values of humanity, humility, and accountability.
- Humanity – The recognition that all people have equal inherent worth even while imperfection is the human condition. Common humanity allows us to live into our strengths, express our innermost values, celebrate wide-ranging expressions of self and culture, and build appreciation of diversity. Related virtues include: dignity, compassion, respect, autonomy, and fairness.
- Humility – The practice of seeking understanding, recognizing biases, embracing uncertainty, and modeling a growth mindset. Intellectual humility allows us to uphold ancient wisdom, storytelling, and spiritual systems as sources of knowledge alongside scientific research and academic or institutional knowledge. Related virtues include: curiosity, love of learning, creativity, forgiveness, and perspective.
- Accountability – The recognition that we exist in community and that individual actions redound to the common good, or common harm, and we take responsibility accordingly. Shared accountability allows us to shift from “calling out” to “calling in” and from “canceling” to “restoring” without undermining individual agency. Related virtues include: teamwork, bravery, self-regulation, and judgment.
Qualifications & Eligibility
Fellows are not required to have had previous job experience. This is an entry level position designed to catalyze your career and leadership development. We do, though, seek the following traits in all Fellows: Curiosity, Growth Mindset, Teamwork, Community Orientation, Accountability, and Leadership skills.
Learn more at https://www.civicbridgers.org/fellowship
- 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).
- We welcome applicants from any location, but you must be willing to live and work in Minnesota during the 2025-26 term of service
Civic Bridgers’ mission is to bridge divides and strengthen civic dialogue. 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.
Our 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 or call 651-324-6560.