AmeriCorps Alums Segal Leadership Award

What are the qualifications to apply?

Potential candidates for the 2023 AmeriCorps Alums Segal Leadership Award will meet the following criteria: 

• Have demonstrated strong communication, collaboration, and leadership skills while serving in AmeriCorps.
• Commitment to advancing diverse, inclusive, and equitable strategies in their communities.
• Have successfully completed an AmeriCorps service year position between August 2020 and August 2023. 
• Seek meaningful participation as a lifelong Segal Fellow in the Eli J. & Phyllis N. Segal Citizen Leadership Program.
• We welcome a diverse applicant pool to ensure a diverse network of individuals in the Segal Leadership Program! 
• Candidates are welcome to apply from all over, although preference is given to applicants from the Greater DC Area.

Expectations and Benefits of Selected Awardees

Benefits and expectations of being selected for the AmeriCorps Alums Segal Leadership Award

• Cash Award: Receive a $2,000 cash award from Service Year Alliance to further your leadership and professional development (anticipated delivery in Q4 2023). 
• Segal Fellowship Program: Be an active participant in activities of the Eli J. & Phyllis N. Segal Citizen Leadership Program, a national network which aims to inspire, support, and enable new generations of leaders and promote citizen leadership. During their first year, awardees are expected to participate in this program through:
  • Mandatory attendance in virtual monthly Segal Program professional and leadership training and events from Oct 2023 to June 2024.
  • Requested attendance (with costs covered) at our bi-annual Segal Fellow Retreats (including November 10-12, 2023, in Greater Boston).
  • Meaningful connection with their Segal near-peer “buddy” (year one), their Segal Advisor (year two), and the larger Segal network of 155 Fellows and 600+ partners (lifelong).
  • Participation in Segal events throughout their lifetime and career, after June 2024 (networking events, service opportunities, biannual retreat, monthly webinars, etc).
• Service Year Alliance Network: Stay connected to the Service Year Alliance network through your choice of opportunities:
  • Write a blog post about your service year experience.
  • Attend a Hill Day or congressional office visit when available. 
  • Write a letter to the editor about the importance of service year opportunities.
  • Act as a mentor to a prospective or currently serving service year corps member.

About the Eli J. & Phyllis N. Segal Citizen Leadership Program

Eli J. Segal has been described as the "father of AmeriCorps.” He served as the first CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service, and under his leadership AmeriCorps was created. To honor Eli, and build upon his legacy, AmeriCorps Alums gives the AmeriCorps Alums Segal Leadership Award to recognize the achievement and potential of an outstanding alum whose work, after completing their service in AmeriCorps, demonstrates entrepreneurial vision and leadership to make this a better world.Being awarded the AmeriCorps Alums Segal Leadership Award automatically enrolls the awardee as a lifelong Segal Fellow in the Eli J. and Phyllis N. Segal Citizen Leadership Program. The Segal Program provides emerging leaders an opportunity to join a community of other like-minded changemakers. These leaders collaborate across sectors and topic areas to break down silos and create solutions in the pursuit of a more just and equitable world. During your first year as a Segal Fellow, you participate virtually monthly in the Segal Citizen Leadership Curriculum, and lifelong participation in our networking and leadership development offerings is expected. There are over 155 inspiring, diverse, and multi-generational fellows who are already leaders in their communities, as well as a network of over 600 Founders and program partners. In addition to joining through AmeriCorps Alums @ Service Year Alliance, Fellows gain entry into the program through partnerships with diverse leaders from Brandeis University, City Year, and AmeriCorps. For more information about the program, please visit segal.brandeis.edu. 

How to Apply

Submit the following documents and information using this google form by August 22, 2023 at 5 pm EST. No late applications will be considered. 

Documents to include: (each document included below should be in PDF format and uploaded to the google form application)

1. Resume (maximum of 2 pages):
   • Resume should not exceed 2 pages and should include the experience that best speaks to your qualifications as a Segal Fellow 
   • Please include your current residence on the resume 
2. Short Answer Questions (each response should not exceed 300 words): 
   • Describe a time when you demonstrated strong communication, collaboration, and leadership skills. What did you learn from this experience? 
   • What value do you hope to bring to the lifelong Eli J. & Phyllis N. Segal Citizen Leadership Program and how do you hope to actively engage, both getting from and giving to the Segal Fellowship?
   • How has the pursuit of justice, with a focus on equity, diversity and inclusion, shown up in your life personally or professionally? (Examples of this may include your lived experience and your other community/professional efforts). 
   • What else do you want us to know about you?
3. Submission of voluntary demographic information.
   • All information filled out in this section will only be used in aggregate and anonymously. The use is for Service Year Alliance to ensure the funds over time are used in a balanced and equitable way and to report out in an aggregate way. There is an option in every category for 'prefer not to say' for anyone who would not like to submit any or all of the information. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. Please select all that apply. 
     • Race and Ethnicity (select all that apply)
       • Hispanic, Latinx, Spanish, or Portuguese origin (Of Iberian Peninsula and/or Latin American Descent -- Eg: Mexican or Mexican American, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Salvadoran, Dominican, Colombian, Brazilian, etc)?
       • Black or African American origin (Of Sub-Saharan African Descent -- Eg: African American, Jamaican, Haitian, Nigerian, Ethiopian, Somalian, etc)
       • Asian or Asian American origin (Commonly of east and southern Asian Descent -- Eg: Chinese, Filipino, Asian Indian, Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese, etc)
       • Native American or Alaska Native origin (Eg: Navajo nation, Blackfeet tribe, Mayan, Aztec, Native Village or Barrow Inupiat Traditional Government, Nome Eskimo Community, etc)
       • Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander origin (Eg: Native Hawaiian, Samoan, Chamorro, Tongan, Fijian, etc)
       • White or European origin (Of White European Descent, not Iberian Peninsula -- Eg: German, Irish, English, Italian, Polish, French, Russian, etc)
       • Prefer not to say
4. Pronouns (select all that apply)
   • He/Him
   • She/Her
   • They/Them
   • Prefer not to say 
   • Other
5. What is your gender identity? (select all that apply)
   • Female 
   • Male 
   • Non-binary 
   • Transgender 
   • Intersex
   • Prefer not to say 
   • Other 
6.  Sexual Orientation 
   • Gay
   • Lesbian
   • Bisexual
   • Pansexual
   • Queer
   • Asexual
   • Heterosexual
   • Prefer not to say
   • Other
7. Age
   • Under 18 years old
   • 18-24 years old
   • 25-34 years old
   • 35 - 44 years old
   • 45+ years old
   • Prefer not to say
8. Education Attainment
   • No formal education
   • Some high school, no diploma
   • High school graduate, diploma or the equivalent (for example: GED)
   • Some college credit, no degree
   • Trade/technical/vocational training
   • Associate degree
   • Bachelor’s degree
   • Master’s degree
   • Professional degree
   • Doctorate degree
   • Prefer not to say
   • Other
9. Disability or learning challenge (select all that apply)
   • Dyslexia
   • Blind/partially sighted
   • Deaf/hearing impairment
   • Wheelchair user/mobility problem
   • Personal support need
   • Mental health difficulty 
   • ‘Unseen’ disability (for example, asthma, diabetes, epilepsy)
   • No known disability
   • Prefer not to say
   • Other
10. Two References  (at least one of your references should be someone you know from service like a manager or peer) - Example: [Ellie Mist, Former Team Leader, City Year, 444-444-4444)
    • Name of reference (first and last)
    • Relationship to reference (ex: former team leader or program manager) 
    • Organization where you worked together (ex: City Year)
    • Phone number 
11. Proof of service: 
    • Visit my.americorps.gov for proof of service letter or other signed documentation. 
    • Documentation submitted should show a verified date of service.