Deadline:
January 12, 2025
Location(s)
United States of America
Washington D.C.
Overview
The Bill Emerson National Hunger Fellowship program trains and inspires new leaders in the movement to end hunger and poverty in the United States. Fellows gain vital first-hand experience through placements with community-based organizations across the country as well as policy-focused organizations in Washington, D.C. The program bridges gaps between local efforts and national public policy, as fellows support partner organizations with program development, research, evaluation, outreach, organizing, and advocacy projects.
Applications for the 2025-2026 class will open in Fall 2024.
Details
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.
- THE FIELD-TO-POLICY BRIDGE: 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.
- ADDRESSING ROOT CAUSES: We cannot fully eradicate hunger without first addressing the underlying conditions that drive it. Fellows work at their field and policy placements to address the root causes of hunger and poverty, including racism, sexism, ableism, and class discrimination.
- LEARNING TOGETHER: Each class of Emerson Fellows forms a powerful learning cohort, coming together at regular intervals during the fellowship for trainings, retreats, and professional development sessions. All trainings incorporate the Hunger Center’s Leadership Capabilities model, and enhance fellows’ ability to become effective agents for change.
Who Was Bill Emerson?
Representative Bill Emerson (January 1, 1938 – June 22, 1996) was a Congressional leader who crossed political lines to bring people together in the fight to end hunger. Rep. Emerson, a Republican, was first elected in 1980 to represent Missouri’s 10th district, and was re-elected seven times until his death in 1996.
His tireless, bipartisan work in Congress advanced numerous anti-hunger initiatives, including The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) and the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Act, which was named posthumously in his honor.
The Bill Emerson National Hunger Fellowship Program serves as a living legacy to his steadfast leadership and dedication to ending hunger, and his bipartisan approach forms the foundation of the Congressional Hunger Center’s anti-hunger work.
Opportunity is About
Eligibility
Candidates should be from:
Description of Ideal Candidate
Here are some of the qualities of succesful applicants to the Emerson Fellowship:
- Commitment to ending hunger and poverty
- Flexibility; ability to adjust to new situations
- Commitment to racial equity and social justice
- Demonstrated leadership qualities and skills
- Ability to solve problems in creative and innovative ways
- Enthusiasm for learning from experts in the field, and searching for new models in anti-hunger and anti-poverty work
- 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
Dates
Deadline: January 12, 2025
Cost/funding for participants
We establish fellow financial packages based on location, taking into consideration the cost of living at the field and policy placement. (One resource we consider when setting financial packages is the MIT Living Wage calculator.) Typically, Fellows receive financial packages in the range of $38,000 to $43,000 over the duration of the fellowship.
Emerson Fellows serve as independent consultants. Fellows are expected to secure and finance their own health insurance, and to save for and pay their own taxes as contractors; accordingly, health care costs and taxes are among the factors we take into consideration when determining fellows’ financial packages. Hunger Center staff provide some limited guidance and share resources where fellows may learn more about how to file taxes as self-employed independent contractors.
Graduate Partnerships
Emerson Fellow alums pursuing Masters’ degrees in public health or public policy at select institutions are also eligible for significant discounts on tuition. As of 2019 we maintain partnerships with Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College and the University of Virginia Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy
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
- Project management experience
Un-save Opportunity
Internships, scholarships, student conferences and competitions.
