Since 2014, CivicSpark has built local capacity to address complex resilience issues in communities throughout California. Over 1,000 Fellows have completed more than 300 projects, providing over one million hours of service.
Our partners are local, regional, and state government agencies; universities; nonprofits; and community-based organizations that want to meet their community resilience goals faster with the support of a young professional—who in turn receives professional development training and support from the CivicSpark team, subject matter experts, and AmeriCorps.
Program Design
CivicSpark recruits Fellows through a highly competitive application process. Fellows spend 11 months embedded in government agencies and community organizations, serving 1,300+ hours implementing a needed community resilience project, while also building long-term capacity to ensure the work is sustained after their service year.
Benefits
- Access a proven capacity building workforce model
- Receive dedicated support for your initiatives
- Increase resources for underserved communities
- Attract, train and retain young leaders
- Reach and exceed your organizational goals
- Move California’s community resilience efforts forward
Project Spotlight
City of La Mesa, CA
The City of La Mesa is a longtime partner with CivicSpark in supporting its Climate Action Plan implementation. Fellows Jackie Weeden and Alexa Kerr led projects around energy, solid waste, green infrastructure, transportation, and water. They completed La Mesa’s 2021 Climate Action Plan (CAP) Annual Report and Environmental Justice Element Recommendation Report, and helped launch the Edible Food Recovery Program and La Mesa Green Business Network.
The Fellows also supported active transportation and tree canopy initiatives, and conducted community outreach for low-cost renewable energy. Their diverse projects helped La Mesa lead on their CAP and address environmental justice and social equity issues.
The projects our Fellow is working on are important for the County’s success in designing and implementing climate action strategies. They are also significant components in broader thinking about long-term sustainability. Without our CivicSpark fellow, these significant pieces of work would be several years out for their completion.
Looking ahead to my next chapter after CivicSpark, I feel prepared to enter any future professional space with more confidence and determination than ever before, along with some GIS and staff report writing skills!
CivicSpark has been invaluable to the successful launch of our building energy transparency requirement...Collaboration of the CivicSpark Bay Area team has enriched our program through new perspectives and best practices from other cities. It has been a great experience for all involved.
CivicSpark provided a platform and space for me to explore my options for what I truly wanted to do with my passions and career. The program provided me with a deeper understanding of the inner workings of government, and opened numerous doors for me to further expand my environmental education and work experience. CivicSpark was sincerely a foundational experience for me as a young professional.
CivicSpark has been an essential partner in our office and in our county, providing fellows who are highly capable, intelligent, serious, and committed to their projects...CivicSpark has been a tremendous benefit to our local governments and the community at large.
The CivicSpark fellowship helped in launching my career in the environmental field. It was an invaluable experience and provided a vast network of connections and resources that I continue to use today.
CivicSpark has been an invaluable resource to the County of Santa Barbara, and we’re still experiencing the benefits…Our CivicSpark Fellow was able to take on a crucial role in coordinating implementation, and monitoring and reporting.