Calling submissions for the Bill Emerson National Hunger Fellowship (2025-2026)!
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.
Fellows’ placements expose them to a variety of approaches to ending hunger at both the local, state, and federal level. Fellows’ work can include research, evaluation, organizing, advocacy, outreach, and public education. Fellows present their findings from their field work in February and contribute original material to our database of resources and publications.
Benefits
Emerson Fellows will 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.
Eligibilities
Here are some of the qualities that successful applicants to the Emerson Fellowship should possess:
- A commitment to ending hunger and poverty in the United States
- An ability to adjust and adapt to new situations
- A commitment to addressing root causes of hunger and poverty, including racism, sexism, ableism, and anti-LGBTQIA+ bias
- 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 tight knit community of fellows
- Bachelor’s degree, or equivalent experience
- U.S. citizenship or permanent legal residency (required)
Eligible Regions: USA
Application Process
Begin by assembling applicants supporting materials, a three-page document, saved as a single PDF, which must include:
- A one-page personal statement, single spaced
- A one-page response to the following short essay questions (each response should be single spaced and half-page in length)
- How have your community work and life experiences changed your perspective on hunger and poverty over time?
- What role do you believe government plays, or should play, in addressing complex social problems such as hunger, poverty, and systemic racism?
Application Deadline: January 16, 2025 (51 Days Remaining)
