Empowerment Fellowship (paid Opportunity) 

Objective

The Education & Leadership Foundation (ELF) will provide a first of its kind paid opportunity to all students, regardless of citizenship status, The Empowerment Fellowship. The fellowship can be six months to one year-long fellowship for students. The fellowship provides an opportunity for students to gain work experience while volunteering at one of the following departments: Administration, Education, Immigration, Health, and Special Projects. The fellowship is only eligible for current public or private university students. It also includes students completing continuing education or technical training and a bimonthly academic journal. 

Below is a description of the fellowship program and some of the answers to the frequently asked questions.

Why choose ELF? 

ELF seeks to empower underrepresented communities through immigration services, equitable educational opportunities, and social justice. Our vision is to become an inspiring model of service to the community through advocacy, social justice, innovation, and sustainability both locally and globally.  We do this by creating programs within our five departments: administration, education; immigration; health; and special projects.  Each department is run by one or more supervisors who work with ELF staff employees to develop further, operate, and organize various programs and services.  Our departments work with other businesses, government organizations, and other non-profit groups to provide a need that further assists underrepresented communities.  Some examples include the Medico Education Project, Immigration Integration Help Center (IIHC), ELF Pantry, and the Migrant Institute of STEM and Leadership. We assist with immigration and naturalization services and charges, scholarships, bilingual books and resources, parental education, rental assistance, and food banks.

Fellowship Description 

The fellowship is a paid educational opportunity that provides students real-world work experiences while pursuing their education. Students will be guided and directed within various foundation departments, including administration, immigration, education, special projects, and health. While supervised by the respective program manager, fellowship students experience what it is like to be a professional, work collaboratively within a group, and gain meaningful experience providing direct support to clients. The fellowship is a time-limited program for a minimum of six (6) months and a maximum of one (1) year. The fellowship includes a stipend for participants to help offset costs of living expenses while participating and completing the fellowship. To receive a stipend, fellowship students must complete a minimum of 300 hours per quarter, provide a bi-monthly summary of their work experience, and attend at least one training session from their professional development plan.

Introduction: ELF is offering the Empowerment Fellowship, a fellowship for the academic Year 2022-2023 that provides hands-on/experiential learning, professional development, and networking for students from diverse backgrounds. 

The fellowship includes a stipend of $22,000 in total.

Application Deadline: August 30th, 2022

Stipend Amount: Stipend of $22,000 Academic Year 2022-2023 ($5,500 per quarter). This stipend is contingent upon the successful completion of the fellowship program.

Application Submission Process: Students must complete the application form, 

along with a resume and explaining their interest to Jesus Galvez, Director of Education Services. 

Eligibility: Students must: (1) have demonstrated interest in their field of study/research; (2) be

in good academic standing; and (3) come from a diverse background (e.g., race/ethnicity, sexual

orientation, immigration status, national origin, etc.)

Fellowship Description: Success Fellows will:

● Participate in a hands-on/experiential learning project in their field of study/research (20 to 25 hours per week)

● Submit bi-monthly reflections on their learning project

● Be matched with a  mentor in their field of the subject matter who will review bi-monthly reflections and provide ongoing feedback on the learning project

● Participate in monthly leadership and professional development training seminars

● Be part of the cohort of other fellows

If you want to learn more about this fellowship, we will have a zoom meeting on Wednesday, July 27th, at 9 am. Please use the following link to attend the meeting:

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83158250025

Thank you, 

Matias Bernal, LPCC

Executive Director 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. When is my application due? How soon can I expect to hear back from the ELF fellowship Program? All applications are due by August  30th, 2022, for Fall fellowships.  Applicants NOT selected will be notified by the end of September 2022.
2. When are the professional development trainings? There will be ongoing professional development trainings offered by ELF staff and community partners. Program Managers will review and approve all training.
3. Who can apply? Any student enrolled in a higher education program from a private or four-year public university, community college, for-profit college, or educational program can apply. Proof of enrollment is required to apply. Proof of enrollment and completion of the classes enrolled will be required.
4. Do I receive benefits such as sick time, vacation, or retirement? No. The fellowship is not employment. It provides a stipend for students who complete the program to offset costs. Students who fail to complete the fellowship will not be eligible for the stipend.
5. Is the Stipend taxable? ELF will provide the stipend to students who complete all the terms of the fellowship. The stipend helps offset your cost of living expenses while you participate and complete the fellowship. Each student should contact an accountant for guidance on adequate reporting to the IRS. However,  you may still be required to self-report them on IRS Form 1040 and may need to make estimated tax payments directly to the IRS. Please check with your tax accountant regarding the need to make estimated tax payments.
6. Is the stipend a scholarship or payment for work? No. The stipend is neither a scholarship nor wages (no tax withholdings will be made). You will receive your fellowship stipends directly from ELF. Fellowship stipends are not reported on a year-end tax form (W-2 or Form 1099).
7. What will be my schedule? Participation hours are based on your schedule and each department's various work and ongoing projects. It is up to the individual fellowship students to complete the required minimum of 300 hours per quarter, including the bimonthly summaries.
8. If I dropped out of my classes, what would happen? Before stipends are processed, the Education Services Director will verify the class enrollment and academic standing of Fellows. If students disenrolled from their classes, they would not be eligible for the fellowship.
9. When will I receive my stipend? Upon completion of the quarter, stipends will be distributed on the 15th of the following month.
10. Do I have to reside in the central valley to be eligible for the fellowship? Open to students in the central valley.
11. If I failed my classes, do I still receive the stipend? Depends. If you fall on academic probation, you may no longer be eligible for the fellowship. Please see the Director of Education Services for more information.

ELF | (559) 291-5428 | [email protected]| www.education-leadership.org/