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Americans United's Youth Organizing Fellowship is a paid opportunity to grow as a leader, build power with youth organizers from across the country, and advocate for the separation of church and state and inclusive religious freedom, including the issues that depend on them like abortion access, LGBTQ+ rights, strong public schools and a functioning democracy.

Overview

Americans United is recruiting for our fifth cohort of Youth Organizing Fellows who will learn and work with AU and a group of their peers from September 2024 through August 2025.

This Fellowship is right for you if you are already an activist in your community and want to dive deeper into advocacy for separation of church and state. You should bring some knowledge and experience but also be excited to learn more. AU's Youth Organizing Fellows come from diverse backgrounds, share AU's values of freedom without favor and equality without exception, and have a wide range of experience with advocacy and organizing. Click here and scroll down to learn more about our current and past fellows.

Fellows must be able to commit 5-10 hours per month to organizing with Americans United and be excited to work in collaboration with youth activists from across the country to engage their peers and wider community. Fellows will have ample opportunities for professional development, receive a $1,600 stipend, attend up to two conferences (fully paid for by the fellowship), and gain access to support and resources to organize in your community.

The fellowship will kick off with virtual meetings to get to know AU and each other in September and October before meeting in person for a long weekend in Washington, DC at the end of October. During this intensive convening, Fellows will learn key information and advocacy skills and begin planning for the rest of the year. Fellows will continue to meet twice per month by video, as a group and one-on-one with the program manager, for ongoing training and support.

Skills you can expect to gain or strengthen during the Fellowship:

  • Deep understanding of the separation of church and state and inclusive religious freedom
  • Advocacy and organizing skills
  • Event planning and project planning skills
  • Collaboration with people of different faith traditions and none
  • Effective communication and public speaking

Fellows are expected to use the information, skills, and resources they gain to raise awareness and educate their communities about the importance of church-state separation, and activate members of their communities to take action. During the Fellowship, you'll get to build a plan for what your advocacy will look like in partnership with AU staff and other Fellows. Some examples of what past Fellows have worked on include writing about topics such as fighting Christian nationalism, birth control access, and Supreme Court decisions; tabling in their communities; hosting panels, speakers, documentary screenings, and other events on topics such as religious freedom in the criminal justice system, reproductive freedom, and LGBTQ+ rights; lobbying their elected officials; and more. See below for the full list of responsibilities.

People of color, LGBTQ+ people, religious minorities, low-income people, and others who are directly impacted by and from communities disproportionately impacted by white Christian nationalism are especially encouraged to apply.

Timeline and How to Apply

Application Process

  • April 10, 2024: Applications open
  • May (Optional): Info Session for Applicants: You'll get to hear from AU staff and current Fellows about what to expect in the program and application process, and have the opportunity to ask questions. A recording will also be shared after.
  • June 30, 2024: Applications close
  • July 15-19, 2024: Group video interviews with select applicants; exact date and time to be confirmed with selected applicants. All applicants will be notified if they advance to the interview stage
  • By July 31, 2024: Decisions announced to applicants

Fellowship

  • Sep-Oct 2024: Virtual introductory meetings with the full group and 1:1 with program manager (dates based on selected Fellows' availability); prep work for convening in DC
  • Wed, Oct 23: Travel to Washington, DC
  • Thu, Oct 24 - Sunday, Oct 27: Meet in DC for three days of community-building and training (fellows will also travel home on Sunday)
  • Nov 2024 - Aug 2025:
    • Monthly virtual cohort meetings
    • Monthly virtual 1:1 meetings (with AU's Student Network Manager)
    • Fellows organize in their communities (see responsibilities below)
  • Apr 4-8, 2025: Attend the Summit for Religious Freedom in Washington D.C.

AU is committed to making the Fellowship accessible to all. If you would benefit from captioning, an interpreter, or other accommodations during the application process, please reach out to johnson@au.org. We will also strive to accommodate all our Fellows' needs to participate in virtual meetings and the in-person convening in DC.

Your Responsibilities as a Fellow

  • Contribute approximately 5-10 hours total to AU per month.
  • Attend the in-person convening in Washington, DC from October 24-27, 2024
  • Meet at least twice monthly on video calls, once as a full group and once 1:1 with the program manager. Fellows are expected to actively share, learn, and collaborate during group meetings, which will typically consist of collaborative work time and/or skill-building workshops.
  • Be a self-starter, willing and able to organize and work remotely in your community in between meetings with AU.
  • Meet 1:1 with members of your communities and serve as an ambassador for AU and church-state separation.
  • Write and/or record public communications (such as blog posts, social media content, and letters to the editor)
  • Organize at least two events or activities in your community (such as tabling, a webinar, meeting with an elected official, etc.), one designed primarily to educate and one designed primary to mobilize people to take action
  • Attend the Summit for Religious Freedom and an additional conference related to your work as a Fellow

Your Resources as a Fellow

  • $1,600 stipend, provided in two payments in February and August 2025
  • Full coverage of the cost of travel, housing, and meals to participate in the YOF convening in October in Washington, DC
  • Full coverage of the cost of travel, housing, and meals to participate in the Summit for Religious Freedom from April 4-8, 2025 in the Washington, DC area and at least one other conference on behalf of AU
  • Mentorship, skills training, and other support from AU staff
  • How-to training and guides, messaging resources, online tools like event forms and petitions, and other organizing and advocacy tools to support your projects
  • Access to platforms to share your writing (or other content) including AU's blog and social media
  • AU staff to speak, present, or run a training in your community
  • Online tool (Basecamp) to communicate and collaborate with fellow AU leaders

Eligibility

  • Age 18-25 at the start of the program (September 1, 2024)
  • Living in the United States, including the fifty states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. territories

Qualifications

  • Experience working across differences and in collaboration with diverse leaders or groups
  • Experience with advocacy or organizing
  • Ability to work independently
  • Enthusiasm to learn
  • Demonstrated leadership. “Leadership is accepting responsibility to create conditions that enable others to achieve shared purpose in the face of uncertainty” – Marshall Ganz
  • Basic knowledge of church-state separation
  • Commitment to attend the convening in Washington, DC from October 24-27 and participate in the full year-long program
  • Access to the internet and video

Apply

To apply to the Youth Organizing Fellowship, complete the application form and submit a resume via email. Email your resume as an attachment to johnson@au.org with the subject line “Your Full Name - Fellowship Application”.

The deadline to apply is 11:59 PM PT on Sunday, June 30, 2024.

If you have any questions about the application or the Fellowship, contact johnson@au.org.