Bill Emerson National Hunger Fellowship Program (US)

The 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.

Program Specifications

• Field Placements: For the first half of the fellowship, 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.
• During their time in the fellowship, Emerson Fellows receive extensive professional and leadership development training:
  • 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 focusing on root causes in anti-hunger/antipoverty work, including racism, sexism, ableism, and anti-LGBTQIA+ bias. 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: 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, think tanks, and other organizations in the legislative process. Fellows also receive briefings from experts on the status of current hunger and poverty policy issues.

Benefits

• Emerson Fellows 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
  • Project management experience.

Funding Information

• Emerson Fellows typically receive financial packages of no less than $48,000 over the duration of the fellowship.

Eligibility Criteria

• 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 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.