Have you ever looked at our Fellowship program and wondered what Fellows do and where they do it? They work in communities with a community-based nonprofit partner in cities and small towns across Minnesota. They are in a Fellowship with Move for America. And they’re also AmeriCorps VISTA. If this seems like a jumble, take a second and breathe. Then keep reading, because we're going to lay it all out in this article.
The Move for America Fellowship
Move for America is a nonprofit dedicated to launching a generation of leaders skilled in bridging divides and dedicated to an active civic life. We do this by providing opportunities to future leaders in a supportive environment where they can learn, practice bridging skills, immerse themselves in community life, and build relationships across differences.
One way we deliver these experiences is through our Fellowship, which includes (a) intentional skill building for inclusive leadership, and (b) immersive service for 12 months in a community-based organization working on a project that brings people together across differences to build community-driven solutions. They come away with skills in facilitating difficult conversations, working within community, and any vocational skills their particular match might bring!
Let’s explore these two program components in more detail.
Inclusive Leadership
In the Fellowship, Fellows first participate in an interactive, weeklong Inclusive Leadership Training. They dig into intercultural communication, ways to seek mutual understanding during difficult conversations, active listening techniques, and the fundamentals of community engagement. Throughout the year, Fellows will also meet biweekly via Zoom with the whole cohort to keep connected, hear from guest speakers and explore pertinent topics.
Partner Placement
A critical part of the Fellowship is service in community to bring people together across differences to address challenges. Through our network of nonprofit partners – whom we call Hosts – Move for America identifies community-driven projects that elevate diverse perspectives, engaging those involved in collaboratively and compassionately developing solutions to issues that matter. Fellowship candidates go through an intentional matching process to connect with these projects and find a great fit for both the Fellow and the Host.
During the Fellowship year, Fellows then serve full-time at their Host site working on the bridging project and strengthening the organization’s capacity–when not in one of Move for America’s workshops, of course! The placement is like a day job, with Move for America providing an extra layer of learning, facilitated discussion, and support to make sure they get everything they possibly can out of the experience.
Great! Now what’s this AmeriCorps thing?
The Move for America Fellowship is sponsored in partnership with AmeriCorps, a federal agency and a network of national service programs aimed at improving lives and fostering civic engagement. It offers chances for people of all ages to serve their communities through various initiatives, tackling issues in education, disaster services, economic opportunity, environmental stewardship, healthy futures, and supporting veterans and military families. Members commit to full-time or part-time service and get benefits like a living allowance, education awards, and professional development.
AmeriCorps VISTA
There are many, many programs linked with AmeriCorps, and we partner specifically with AmeriCorps VISTA, which specifically focuses on fighting poverty by helping nonprofits and public agencies build their capacity to create sustainable solutions. VISTA members serve full-time for one year at a nonprofit on projects that build the nonprofit’s capacity to address the roots and symptoms of poverty. Though it says volunteer in the name, there’s payment involved as well as other ways to make sure members are secure and taken care of while serving—more on that below.
While all AmeriCorps programs aim to serve communities and address critical needs, VISTA is unique in its focus on capacity building and poverty alleviation. Instead of directly providing services, VISTA members work behind the scenes to help organizations run more effectively. This can mean tasks like developing programs, writing grants and recruiting volunteers, just to name a few examples
VISTA Compensation & Benefits
All VISTA members get a living stipend (about $25,000) and a comprehensive health package. Any VISTA already receiving food assistance or payments from Social Security Income (SSI) won’t have to give those up. When the service year ends, they can choose between an education award that can be credited toward their student loans or a cash stipend. They can even defer their federal student loans during their service term. Plus, if they have to move more than 50 miles to serve, they are eligible for relocation assistance. You can learn more about VISTA’s benefits at their website.
Where VISTA Meets Move for America
AmeriCorps VISTA is the backbone of our Fellowship program. Remember when we said that VISTA members served at a variety of service sites sponsored by a community nonprofit? Move for America is one of those sponsors, and the service sites are our community-based Host nonprofits.
In their day-to-day work routine, Fellows’ primary contacts will be Move for America and the Host partner they were placed with. However, VISTA handles all administrative paperwork, ensuring Fellows are officially brought into the program, receive their pay, and manage other essential aspects throughout the year. They are also a rich source for training, networking and professional development, as they hold several webinars throughout the year and host a wealth of resources for current members and alumni. We’ll happily explain this in greater detail if you’re thinking of becoming a partner or a Fellow and you’re still a bit confused. When boiled down, though, the most important thing to know is that VISTA makes our work possible foundationally, and serves as a kind of underpinning to help us facilitate and fund our work.
Putting it All Together
So now that we’ve laid out all the pieces, here’s how they stack up together to form our Fellowship. Through AmeriCorps VISTA, Fellows are able to work with us while receiving a living stipend and other benefits. Fellows learn and explore through us–Move for America–while also working daily with one of our nonprofit host site partners to help them build capacity and deepen community engagement. The result? One amazing year with lots of chances to learn, teach, and get involved on a really deep level with making things better for our communities and, ultimately, our nation.
If you still have questions, don’t hesitate to reach out by email or leave a comment. Who knows! You may be the reason this post gets expanded with more information! If you’d like to learn more about the Fellowship experience, check out our articles on Inclusive Leadership Training, what it means to bridge divides and Fellowship basics. And if you’re an incoming Fellow, we look forward to working with you soon!