By Kiana Kelly and Stephanie Jamilla

The Bill Emerson National and Mickey Leland International Hunger Fellowship Programs receive a high volume of applications every cycle. We’d love to be able to offer everyone a chance to fight hunger, but unfortunately cannot. However, there are many other organizations that provide leadership opportunities for those interested in leadership and social change. Below you will find a compilation of other programs that align with the Congressional Hunger Center’s mission. As you continue to strive towards a food secure world, consider these alternative fellowship opportunities.

National

This year the Bill Emerson National Hunger Fellowship Program received 373 applications, with 16 applicants selected for fellowship placement. We encourage those that applied to check out these other U.S.-based fellowship opportunities that are related to the mission of the Emerson Fellowship.

FoodCorps

FoodCorps’ is a part of the AmeriCorps service network. FoodCorps’ service members are dedicated to improving food security in America’s school systems through building a community where healthy food education is integrated into the school curriculum, and planning activities and events that help students learn how to cook, grow and try new foods. This service membership recruits leaders for a year-long paid public service placement in one of seventeen states around the country and Washington D.C., specifically in areas where food security is limited. Click here for more information about the program.

Areas of Interest: Food Security in Schools, Healthy School Meals, Community Engagement

NYC Urban Fellows Program

The NYC Urban Fellows Program is regarded as one of the top training programs focusing on government and public policy. The program brings together a diverse group of emerging leaders from around the country to learn and work with public policy implementation on a first hand basis. Through this nine-month program, Fellows are placed in agencies around New York City to work on urban issues impacting public policy. In addition, Fellows take part in a seminar series hosted by established leaders in the public and private sectors to learn from the decision makers working on current urban policy issues. Click here for more information about the program.

Areas of Interest: Public Policy, Leadership

Ashoka Fellowship

The Ashoka Fellowship brings together emerging leaders who are passionate about social change in a range of fields to work together towards the organization’s vision of an “Everyone a Changemaker” world. Ashoka believes that everyone has the ability to leave a positive impact on the world, making social entrepreneurship a core competency of this organization.  Ashoka supports Fellows over a three-year time frame so they can work full time towards their social change agendas. Upon completion the organization offers lifetime membership eligibility. Click here for more information about the program.

Areas of Interest: Social Entrepreneurship, Civic Engagement, Economic Development, Environment, Health, Human Rights, Learning/Education

Greenlining Institute Policy Fellowship

The Greenlining Institute Policy Fellowship is a year-long paid public policy program located in Berkeley, California. Fellows focus on public policy work centered on health equity, environmental equity, and economic equity. In addition, fellows have the opportunity to participate in leadership and skills development workshops and networking events with established government and corporate leaders. Click here for more information about the program.

Areas of Interest: Public Policy, Economic Equity

Child Hunger Corps

Child Hunger Corps is a national service program through Feeding America that aids the fight against childhood hunger in America. Over a two year period Corps members serve at one of Feeding America’s food bank member locations and help to enhance its efficiency and increase the number of meals served to the children and families they serve. While working at their food bank site placements, service members conduct a Community Needs Assessment to determine opportunities for growth and improvement. Service members develop and implement programs based on their research and experience with their food bank placements and raising awareness of child hunger in their communities. In addition, service members recommend changes that would reduce program gaps and evaluate and document any progress made to ensure the sustainability of growth. Click here for more information about the program.

Focus areas: Childhood Hunger, Professional Development, Community Building, and Mentoring

Anti-Hunger & Opportunity Corps

Hunger Free America’s Anti-Hunger and Opportunity Corps is a short-term summer service opportunity focused on reducing barriers and connecting hungry families to anti-hunger programs. The VISTA Summer Associate’s work consists of assisting with the implementation of the Summer Food Service Program and SNAP and improving access to nutritious food to program participants through community gardens, farmers markers, and educational seminars. Click here for more information about the program.

Focus areas: Community Building, Food Security

International

This year, the Leland International Hunger Fellows Program received over 300 applications. The program can only admit U.S. citizens and permanent legal residents; however, the Leland Program is not the only fellowship dedicated to food security. These following programs admit non-U.S. citizens and have missions aligned with that of the Leland Program.

Borlaug Fellowship Program

The Borlaug Fellowship Program is a project of the United States Department of Agriculture which aims to promote food security and economic growth worldwide. Fellows are from developing and middle-income countries and are typically researchers, scientists, and policymakers in the early to middle stages of their careers. Fellows spend 8-12 weeks in the U.S. working with a mentor from a university, research center, or government agency. The mentors will also visit fellows once they return to their home country to continue collaboration as the fellow conducts research in the field. Projects are focused on a wide array of agriculture-related topics such as food security, nutrition, agronomy, agricultural policy, and more. Fellows also have the opportunity to attend conferences such as the annual World Food Prize Symposium. Click here for more information about the program.

Areas of Interest: Agriculture, Research

Global Health Corps

Global Health Corps is a leadership development organization dedicated to training the next generation of leaders in global health equity. GHC accepts candidates of all nationalities and groups fellows into pairs, one U.S. citizen and one non-U.S. citizen. Each pair is placed in a host organization in Malawi, Rwanda, Uganda, Zambia, or the United States for 13 months. Along with working at their placement organization, GHC provides a training program for fellows that focuses on leadership and professional development. Click here for more information about the program.

Areas of Interest: Global Health Equity, Leadership Development, Social Justice

Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders

The Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders brings up to 1,000 young leaders from Sub-Saharan Africa each summer to the United States for academic coursework and leadership training. The fellowship is part of the Young African Leaders Initiative, which President Obama launched in 2010 with the intent to support the next generation of African leaders. Fellows are first placed in colleges and universities across the U.S. to enroll in Academic and Leadership Institutes focusing on one of the three tracks: Business and Entrepreneurship, Civic Leadership, or Public Management. Afterwards, fellows attend the three-day Mandela Washington Fellowship Summit in D.C. that features panel discussions and networking sessions with U.S. leaders from the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. Fellows can also apply for an additional six-week Professional Development Experience to gain experience with U.S. NGOs, private companies, and government agencies. Upon completion fellows return to their home countries and continue to have access to networking, volunteer, and professional development programming. Click here for more information about the program.

Areas of Interest: Public Management, Business and Entrepreneurship, Civic Leadership

Acumen

Acumen runs four fellowship programs that are designed to train and develop future leaders who are dedicated to poverty alleviation. The Global Fellowship accepts applicants of all nationalities, with additional regional fellowship programs in East Africa, India, and Pakistan for citizens of those areas. The Global Fellowship consists of two-month leadership training in Acumen offices in New York and a nine-month field placement with various host organizations around the world. Fellows are placed with organizations that align with their interests and can focus on a wide variety of areas from agriculture to health to energy. Regional fellowships are part-time, consisting of five week-long seminars over the course of a year. Click here for more information about the programs.

Areas of Interest: Poverty Alleviation, Leadership Development

The Congressional Hunger Center wishes you the very best for the future and hope that you continue working for a food secure world!

Kiana Kelly is a senior Public Health major at the University of Maryland College Park, as well as the Congressional Hunger Center’s Operations Intern for spring 2017.
Stephanie Jamilla is a sophomore International Affairs major at The George Washington University, as well as the Hunger Center’s Leland International Hunger Fellows Program Intern for spring 2017.