CivicSpark is an award-winning and evidence-based fellowship program that builds local workforce capacity to address community planning priorities and challenges such as natural disaster preparedness, water resource management, power and electricity, parks and recreation, transportation, affordable housing, and public health. During the service year, CivicSpark Fellows complete research, planning, or implementation projects that support local governments and community organizations in advancing their planning priorities. CivicSpark Fellows are AmeriCorps members, making them eligible to receive an education award upon successful completion of the fellowship, among other benefits.

Since 2014, over 1,000 CivicSpark Fellows have provided more than one million hours of service. Over 95% of completed projects have met or exceeded expectations. CivicSpark provides both a workforce pipeline and a professional launchpad for Fellows, 73% of whom continue to work in the public sector.

CivicSpark is fiscally sponsored by Public Health Institute (PHI), a 60-year-old nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening public health and community well-being through fiscal sponsorship, thought leadership, and partnership. As a fiscal sponsor, PHI provides operational support and infrastructure so that CivicSpark can focus on supporting our community partners and Fellows.

AmeriCorps is a network of local, state, and national service programs that connects over 200,000 Americans each year in intensive service to meet community needs in education, the environment, public safety, health, and homeland security. 

No, CivicSpark is a full-time Fellowship program. Fellows serve 35-40 hours per week, receive ongoing training during the program, and deliver meaningful, high-quality work for the public agency or organization they are placed with. In addition, Fellows are encouraged to seek out leadership roles during the year either in their service project work or in opportunities within the cohort.

In 2025-26, CivicSpark will offer Fellowships in California, Colorado and Washington state. Some host sites are fully in-person while others allow for hybrid service, with some in-office days and some days serving from home. During their term of service, Fellows must reside within their state of service by the start of the service term, and live within 50 miles of their service site location.

CivicSpark anticipates hosting up to 150 Fellows for the 2025-26 service year.

CivicSpark is an AmeriCorps State and National program. To serve in AmeriCorps State and National, you must be a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or legal permanent resident of the United States. At this time, we are unfortunately unable to accept applicants with work or student visas (such as F1 or F2 student visas, J1 or J2 exchange visitor visas, G series visas, etc.), or those with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status.

The 2025-26 11 month full service term starts on October 6, 2025 and ends September 4, 2026. Our 8 month three-quarter term starts on January 12, 2026 and ends on September 4, 2026. Fellows who accept an offer must commit to service the full term of service.

The service year will begin with a multi-day program Orientation. Orientation will be a hybrid schedule of CivicSpark programmatic orientation days and days at Fellow service sites.

Dates for the 2026-27 fellowship year are still being determined but will likely mirror the 2025-26 dates.

Fellows will serve on individual projects supporting community planning priorities and be part of a larger CivicSpark cohort completing various training and professional development activities as part of their weekly schedules. The Fellowship provides an opportunity to serve communities while building connections and developing skills through a project-based experience.CivicSpark Fellows provide capacity building support to government agencies and nonprofit community organizations through research, planning, and implementation of project activities. CivicSpark Fellows can serve on a wide range of initiatives, as long as there is a defined connection to a specific agency’s unmet needs, and the service can be completed by a Fellow within the service year.

Example Projects:

• Community plans, general/comprehensive plans, plan elements, or action/implementation plans related to transportation, housing, or climate. 
• Inventories, existing conditions analysis, assessments, data analysis, and geographic information systems (GIS) work
• Developing pilot programs 
• Creating ordinances and policy solutions
• Increasing community awareness of local planning issues
• Gathering community feedback on local priorities
• Volunteer management

Project descriptions will be shared with applicants during the application process.

Applications are now closed for the 2025-26 fellowship year, and will open back up again for the 2026-27 fellowship year around April 2026.

Anyone who is a U.S. citizen, national, or lawful permanent resident of the United States who has an Associate’s degree or higher can apply to the program.

At this time, we, unfortunately cannot accept folks who are unable to provide documentation proving their status as a U.S. Citizen, U.S. National, or lawful permanent resident, including anyone with:

• An F1 or F2 student visa
• A J1 or J2 exchange visitor visa
• A G series visa (pertaining to international organizations)
• Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status
  • (As a State and National AmeriCorps program, CivicSpark is under different regulations than AmeriCorps VISTA programs. If you’re interested in serving with AmeriCorps and are a DACA recipient, you can apply to serve with an AmeriCorps VISTA program.)

For a full list of eligibility requirements, please see: https://civicsparkfellowship.org/fellow/.

Yes, CivicSpark accepts applicants from different locations; however, all Fellows must live in their state of service during the service term. Fellows will need to live within commuting distance (~50 miles) to their service site. At this time, CivicSpark does not provide formal assistance in relocating.

CivicSpark does NOT allow a Fellow to serve out of state. Accepted applicants MUST relocate to their service community by the start of the service term.

Our process is three-fold, with application review, program interviews, and partner interviews.

Intake & Program Interviews: Once your application is submitted through the CivicSpark website, it will be reviewed by program staff. If you fit our basic qualifications, you will be contacted via email for a 30 minute video interview with a member of our staff. 

Partner Interview: Candidates who are deemed strong fits for the program after the first round interview will be matched with project partners based on the candidate’s project interests, regional preferences, and relevant skills. All of these will be taken into account, so you may be matched with a partner who you did not mention in your project interests if we see a potential fit.

The project partners will then review the various candidates, select the candidates who meet their criteria, and schedule interviews with those candidates. Candidates may be invited to multiple interviews, but may only receive one offer at a time.

Offer to join Fellowship: After interviewing, offers for specific projects to join the Fellowship will come directly from CivicSpark program staff via email. As projects fill, we will continue to match applicants to projects to be considered for project interviews. 

Due to the highly competitive application process, we cannot guarantee all candidates will be offered a project partner interview or offer to join the program. Once all projects have been filled, we will notify candidates who were not selected.

Positions are filled on a rolling basis; therefore, some projects may no longer be interviewing for Fellows at the time of your application. We strongly encourage interested folks to apply as soon as possible in order to have more project options available.

For our three quarter term 8-month fellowship starting in January 2026, we plan to start reviewing applications and scheduling interviews in early October and continue through early November. Due to the volume of applications we receive, it may take us up to 1-2 weeks to contact you. If you move forward past the interview with program staff, the timeline for partner interviews is dependent on the partners. We begin matching candidates with partners in mid- October and continue until all placements are filled. We anticipate the application, matching and offer process to be complete for all fellows by Thanksgiving 2025.

Candidates can indicate their state preferences and top 3 projects of interest in the Fellow application. During the program interview, candidates will have the opportunity to let CivicSpark staff know why they are a strong fit for these projects, and if there are additional projects they’d like to be considered for.

While you will have the opportunity to share your interests and the projects you would like to serve on, ultimately the Project Partner will select the Fellow to serve with their project. We may match you for interviews with a partner you did not mention you were interested in if we feel it is a potential fit. We encourage you to keep an open mind about our projects as each provides a unique opportunity to explore and launch a career in the community resilience space.

If you are chosen to serve as a CivicSpark Fellow, there are a few critical onboarding steps to be completed over the summer before the Fellowship begins in the Fall. 

First, all selected candidates must complete a background check and receive passing results before formally joining the program and beginning service. Accepted candidates will receive an email from Truescreen, and fill out an online application allowing us to conduct a search of National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW). Through the online portal, you will also schedule an in-person, livescan fingerprint appointment that scans state and federal criminal history databases. Scheduling appointments is fairly simple for most fellows and results come back quickly. However, it can take several days for fellows in rural areas to schedule due to the lack of fingerprint locations.

Next, candidates must complete onboarding requirements, including onboarding paperwork, with both CivicSpark and Public Health Institute staff. These items can be completed via email over the summer before beginning service.

The Fellow’s start date and ability to serve is dependent on their background check and onboarding paperwork being completed on time.

Fellows are typically placed within the local government/public agency office that they will be serving with, but they may also be placed at a nonprofit or serve primarily from home. Fellows must be located within commuting distance (~50 miles) of their placement site.

You can review the on-site/hybrid preferences/plans of projects you’re interested in within the project description.

Fellows are expected to serve at full time capacity, on average of 35-40 hours per week. The 11 Month Fellowship term requires a minimum of 1700 hours to be eligible for the Segal Education Award. The 8 Month Fellowship term requires 1200 hours to be eligible for a Three-Quarter Term Segal Education Award. 

Most Fellows serve within an office during traditional work hours (typically 8 am – 5 pm on weekdays) as well as occasional after-hours and weekends when necessary; however, this will depend on your project partner. Most Fellows will serve between 35 – 40 hours per week for 11 months. Examples of when evening or weekend service may take place include attending city council meetings, conducting community outreach, or managing volunteer events.

CivicSpark does not offer part-time positions (less than 40 hours per week) Fellows may take up to 80 hours of personal time off throughout the Fellowship, but should be able to commit to serving full-time during regular business hours.

Site Supervisors are staff members of the local government agency/organization that Fellows are placed with, and will directly oversee their day-to-day project work and assist with any project-specific questions Fellows may have. Site Supervisors will also provide mentorship and guidance in their sector of work, as well as support the Fellow’s professional development.

Fellow Advisors (FAs) are CivicSpark program staff who support cohorts of Fellows and Partners by providing Fellow supervision, program guidance, and support in achieving broader professional development goals.

The majority of your service and collaboration will be spent with your Site Supervisor. Fellow Advisors are here to facilitate program administration, provide monthly training, and professional development support. Overall, your Fellow Advisor helps ensure you have a smooth fellowship experience and feel well-supported.

Fellows are allowed to work a second job if necessary, although we encourage you to find a position with a flexible schedule, as you will likely serve traditional hours (8am-5pm) for CivicSpark which may include occasional after hours and weekends when necessary. AmeriCorps service years are intensive programs, and we suggest you wait until your third month of service before taking on a second job so you have a better idea of your daily schedule and your time commitment to the program.

Due to the size and spread of our cohorts across states, we connect in a hybrid capacity to offer both virtual and in-person connection for our Fellows. Virtual events occur at least monthly, while in-person events occur about three times throughout the year, typically at the beginning, middle and end of the service year.

Fellows will participate in 1-2 virtual trainings per month facilitated by CivicSpark staff. These trainings often feature guest speakers such as professionals from the field, program partners, and CivicSpark alumni. Trainings are focused on general professional development skills such as professional communication, project management, and personal resilience. Additionally, Fellows will receive targeted career development trainings including resume and cover letter development and interview best practices. 

Fellows may receive training opportunities through their host agency to support their capacity building projects and broader professional development goals. 

The service term kicks off with Orientation, where Fellows will receive a comprehensive overview of the program, meet Fellow Advisors, and connect with their cohort. Mid-Year Symposium will feature guest speakers, an alumni panel, career readiness exercises, and opportunities for Fellows to build community. Our service term closes with Graduation, where we celebrate Fellow accomplishments and provide opportunities to reflect. Throughout the year, Fellows will have the opportunity to attend Service Days which entail volunteering with a local organization to support missions such as hunger relief, habitat restoration, or other local initiatives. 

In addition to the staff-led and project site trainings, Fellows can lead trainings and facilitate peer-led groups for the cohort with CivicSpark staff support. For example, Fellows have led groups focused on developing public speaking skills or building competency in GIS.

All Fellows should leave the service year with an understanding of work within local governments and experience working on community centric projects. Fellows will develop and deepen professional skills needed to enter the community resilience workforce.  

In exchange for their service, each Fellow receives the following benefits:

• Living Allowance before taxes spread evenly over term of service: see “Benefits” on Fellow home page: for exact amounts by state and term or service
• Segal Education Award (dependent on length of service)
• California For All Award*
• Forbearance on existing qualifying student loans and payment of interest accrued during service**
• Health Insurance
• Service term counts toward Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)
• Child Care Assistance – (to qualifying Fellows), paid to an eligible provider of your choice**
• SNAP (Food Stamps) – for those eligible 
• Professional development training
• Network development with regional and statewide contacts in the community resilience industries
• Connection to the network of CivicSpark alum and AmeriCorps alums

*The California for All Award is contingent on future funding decisions and only available to Fellows serving in California for the 11 month term of service 

**eligibility and amounts may vary by individual

The Segal Education Award is given to Fellows upon the successful completion of their service year. The amount varies by term of service and current rates can be found on the Fellow Home Page under “Benefits.” It is meant to help the Fellow pay for educational expenses such as loans, grad school, certificate programs, or for school supplies post-AmeriCorps. The award is not given to the Fellow as cash or a check; the Fellow must request that AmeriCorps make a payment to an eligible loan provider or school, and AmeriCorps will make payments directly to them on your behalf. The Segal Education Award must be used within 7 years of completing the program.

Yes, Fellows are allowed up to 80 hours of personal time off (traditionally thought of as vacation/sick time) throughout the service year. Fellows will be required to request approval for time off from both their Site Supervisor(s) and Fellow Advisor. If Fellows need to take off additional time, they can work with both their Site Supervisor(s) and Fellow Advisor to coordinate additional time off.

In addition, Fellows will have most federal holidays off throughout the service year.

Yes, Fellows will receive mentorship from project partners and CivicSpark staff at various levels. Site Supervisors will be the main mentor for the Fellow, assisting them with their project and any other project specific questions Fellows may have, as well as helping them grow professionally in the workspace. The Fellow Advisor will assist in professional development through regular training sessions, and provide general support for the Fellows throughout the year. CivicSpark staff are also available to assist Fellows whenever they have questions.

Fellows can also be connected to CivicSpark alumni for formal mentorship during their service year through the Alumni Mentorship program.

CivicSpark is not able to provide housing or relocation assistance for Fellows at this time. However, we have a housing board to make it easier for incoming Fellows to connect with one another before the service year to find housing together or learn about housing opportunities within the region they’ll be placed in from alumni and/or current Fellows.

Yes! CivicSpark Fellows have a very high track record of receiving job offers after their term of service. According to our most recent alumni survey, 69% of alumni say the program had a significant impact on their careers and more than 80% continue to work in a relevant field. 

To facilitate Fellow’s career development and post-service career search, CivicSpark provides assistance through our training curriculum. Fellows are engaged in training activities such as networking best practices, resume and cover letter development, and interview best practices. As part of a large cohort, Fellows are supported to actively pursue networking within and across the CivicSpark community and with professionals in the field. 

Upon graduating from the program, Fellows join the CivicSpark alumni network with 1000+ alumni across the country. Alumni continue to stay connected with each other and share job opportunities through an exclusive alumni list-serv and LinkedIn group.