American Connection Corps Fellow - Mercer County, Illinois
*Note: This is a 2021 Placement meaning the expected start date is early December 2021. Additionally, this Fellow will not serve a full two AmeriCorps Service Years, but rather 1.75 years, equivalent to 2900 AmeriCorps Hours.
American Connection Corps Overview
Lead For America (LFA) and the American Connection Project (ACP) are teaming up to mobilize young leaders to return to their hometowns to coordinate broadband development & digital inclusion locally, and across the country. The American Connection Corps (ACC) will be the nation's largest fellowship program focused on bridging the digital divide. Fifty American Connection Corps Fellows will serve in select states in a two-year pilot initiative. As part of the national network, ACC Fellows will have access to premiere national training on community organizing, broadband and digital inclusion, and a network of young homecomers nationwide. Host communities will be featured in national news outlets and will help inform the work of the American Connection Project Policy Coalition.
Broadband Coordinator - Mercer County, Illinois
Guiding Question: How might we include our community, engage stakeholders, and leverage financial resources to implement the Mercer County Strategic Broadband Plan and improve the broadband landscape in Mercer County?
Key Activities:
• Create reports on information gathering efforts and promote findings via presentations, promotional documents, video, media/social media content.
• Use survey and speed test results to identify areas of opportunity for broadband improvement.
• Assist in identifying federal funding sources, rules, eligibility, and funding processes.
• Locate and research appropriate broadband technologies and prospective broadband providers/partners.
• Assist in creating proposals for effective use of federal funds allocated to local governments and organizations for broadband expansion.
• Explore the creation of a nonprofit ISP or government joint powers group to find capital, and design and build networks.
• Conduct a range of broadband education activities to cultivate support for public broadband investment and drive demand for broadband services throughout the county.
• Identify target audiences and key partners to pass resolutions in support of broadband, such as local governments and organizations.
• Build relationships with local organizations, associations, or affiliates to drive broadband demand.
• Educate state legislators and organizations on local needs, available resources, and project actionability.
Key Goals:
• Fortify broadband services across the county by engaging key partners and stakeholders to consider the business and technology case for fiber, fixed wireless, and other technologies.
• Establish an interactive map that consolidates existing data, fiber connections, provider areas, expansion opportunities, and gaps.
• Ensure that Mercer County is well-positioned to successfully compete for state and federal investment into broadband.
Who are we looking for?
Pre-Confirmed Fellows are self-starters and open-minded. By design, Fellows are added to existing organizations with experience working within these local challenges. This offers more structure to the Fellowship but requires an eagerness to learn and adapt from Fellows as they adjust to operate within that structure. While there is still plenty of opportunities for Fellows to co-create their experience, this is a major difference between a Pre-Confirmed Placement and the National Hometown Fellowship.
Additionally, ideal candidates are willing and excited to work with others, especially those who come from different backgrounds and hold different beliefs than them. Ultimately, all LFA Fellows are dedicated to tackling critical challenges at a local level.
What are the responsibilities of being a Pre-Confirmed (Host-Led) Fellow?
- Placement and Project Scope: Fellows are placed with a local institution (nonprofit, local government, service-driven organization) to add capacity with tackling a community-identified "critical challenge”. Unlike the National Hometown Fellowship, the Host Organization and Project Scope for a Pre-Confirmed Placement have already been decided and are unique to each Fellowship. Challenge-Based Tracks, like the American Connection Corps or Public Health Equity Corps, are primarily Pre-Confirmed Placements, but have similar project scopes that relate to their respective critical challenge.
- Listening Tour + Community Venture: Fellows conduct a Listening Tour of their community to identify areas where their unique talents and passions can serve greater community needs and inspire them to launch a Community Venture. Community Ventures are Fellow-initiated projects that do not need to align with their project scopes as long as they are aimed to address a critical challenge identified within their listening tour. Fellows can secure funding and mentorship support from Lead For America in starting their venture, whether it be creating a group to collect trash and debris, applying for a grant, or starting a community center, etc.
- Multiplier Effect: Fellows will identify emerging opportunities for their communities and mobilize community members to seize those opportunities. Fellows also help recruit additional young leaders to return, move to, or become activated to serve in their home community.
What is the application process for this Fellowship?
- Submit your application. Our application deadline for this placement is October 29th, 2021. Finalists will be notified if they are moving on by November 1st, 2021.
- Finalist - 30 Minute Interview. This is the second stage of the application process, where you will be interviewed by a panel of Lead For America staff members and alumni.
- Endorsed Finalist - Host Interview. As an Endorsed Finalist, you have demonstrated to the Lead For America team your ability to be a successful fellow within our 2021 Cohort! The last step before becoming a Confirmed Fellow is a 45-minute interview with the Host Organization. You, and no more than two other Endorsed Finalists, will interview individually and the Host Organization will share their Fellow preference.
- Confirmed Fellow. If you are selected by your Host Organization, you have then become an official Fellow within the 2021 Lead For America Cohort! Before starting your placement, you will attend an Envisioning Meeting with your host, where you will have the opportunity to contribute and adjust your project scope to be more tailored to your skills and passions.
It is important to note that some Endorsed Finalists are not able to secure a host organization based on a limited number of hosts. In this case, Endorsed Finalists become automatic Finalists for future cohorts of fellows.
Benefits
Training
- Attend the 10-day Changemaker Summit at the beginning of your Fellowship. *The 2021 Changemaker Summit has already happened, but supplemental training will be provided to all new Fellows.
- Attend semi-annual retreats with your cohort.
- Participate in virtual plenary conversations.
- Access to the LFA Fellow Fund that provides for resources to attend professional skill-building events.
- Past training partners include Harvard Kennedy School, UNC School of Government, Urban Rural Action, Community Renewal International, Tisch College of Civic Life, and leaders such as Shreveport (LA) Mayor Adrian Perkins, Acting Chief Executive Officer of AmeriCorps Mal Coles, Nobel Peace Prize Nominee Amanda Nguyen, and the Mayor of Ithaca (NY) Svante Myrick.
Support
- Biweekly calls with an LFA Program Manager to ensure you are meeting your professional and personal goals.
- An Employee Assistance Program that provides legal, financial, tax, and mental health resources.
- A hand-selected, local mentor who is a leader in their field, tailored to Fellows’ personal aspirations.
Alumni
- Segal AmeriCorps Education Award - Fellows will earn $6,345 in scholarship funding for every 1,700 hours of service (one program year) that can be applied to current educational expenses or to repay qualified student loans. Learn more here. Note this scholarship is taxable and a person cannot earn more than the aggregate value of two, full-time education awards.
- Alumni graduate scholarships to a growing list of top MPA and MPP schools, including the Fels Institute at the University of Pennsylvania and the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown.
- Grants of up to $5,000 for alumni to launch entrepreneurial initiatives to serve their community.
- A lifelong community of some of the most talented, passionate, and dynamic changemakers in the country.
Eligibility Guidelines
-Be a U.S. Citizen, National, or Lawful Permanent Resident.
-If in college, be on track to earn an undergraduate degree by June 2021, and if graduated, have earned an undergraduate degree in 2012 or later (this may include an associate degree).
-Be able to make a full-time commitment (the fellowship is a full-time job).
Learn More & Contact Us
To learn more about the fellowship program or LFA, please visit our website - https://www.lead4america.org
To schedule a call with an LFA Fellow, please use this link - https://calendly.com/lfainfo/15-min
If you do not see an email from LFA after submitting your registration in the LFA application portal, please check your spam folder.