Civic Health Fellowship

 Fellowship Highlights

Guided by top-tier instructors in community organizing, you will emerge with a profound understanding of civic involvement, health equity concerns, and effective community mobilization techniques. Over eight months, from April to November, you will be trained and equipped to ignite change in your community through voter engagement.

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ORGANIZING 101

Nobel Peace Prize-nominated activist Srdja Popovic, health organizing leader Pedja Stojicic, and community organizer Brian Archie teach tried-and-true organizing tactics that can be used inside and outside of the healthcare system.

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TEAMWORK

Work alongside a team of your colleagues to turn your workplace or professional association into a center of voter registration and civic engagement.

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NARRATIVE-BUILDING WORKSHOPS

Your story is an incredibly powerful mobilizing tool. Learn how to craft your “public narrative”—what makes you who you are and why you do this work—and how to share it with colleagues, organizational leadership, and the media.

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CIVIC ENGAGEMENT PROJECT

Collaborate with healthcare peers to launch a local civic engagement campaign at your health institution or school. Past participants have used this space to workshop pitches to hospital leadership, partner with faculty to integrate voter access into the medical school curricula, and more.

Program Details

Application Deadline

The priority deadline for 2025 is March 16th. The final application deadline is March 31st.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and we encourage applicants to apply as early as possible.

Faculty

Nobel Peace Prize-nominated activist Srdja Popovic, health organizing leader Pedja Stojicic, and organizer Brian Archie are the primary Fellowship instructors, along with a group of all-star guest presenters.

Teams

This fellowship requires individuals to be part of a team. Each member of a team should apply separately, and there will be a space in the application for you to list your team members. If you need assistance recruiting a team, please note that in your application and the Vot-ER team may reach out to support you.

Schedule

Sessions meet online approximately twice a month on Wednesdays from 6-7:30 pm Eastern from April to November.

The total time commitment is 5-10 hours per month, including attending lectures, small group work, and collaborating on team projects.

Investment

Our generous sponsors cover most costs; program fees cover the remainder. Vot-ER is committed to equity, offering sliding-scale fees for Fellows. Financial aid is available upon request, and no one is turned away due to cost. We encourage those with academic or institutional support or CME to seek full program coverage.

The program investment sliding scale is as follows:

Community health workers/promotoras: $10 ($5 if already active in Vot-ER)

Medical, nursing, or social work student: $100 ($50 if already active in Vot-ER)

Social workers, nurses, residents, and interns: $200 ($100 if already active in Vot-ER)

Physician assistants and administrators: $500 ($250 if already active in Vot-ER)

Attending physicians: $1000 ($500 if already active in Vot-ER)

Do I need to have organizing experience?

Nope! Just come ready to learn and collaborate.

How do I apply for financial aid?

You can indicate on your application that you need financial assistance. Last year we didn’t turn anyone away because of the cost, and we expect that everyone who needs help will receive an appropriate discount.

If you have additional questions about financial assistance, please email Leah Ford at leah@vot-er.org.

Who teaches the Civic Health Fellowship Program?

Nobel Peace Prize-nominated activist Srdja Popovic, health organizing leader Pedja Stojicic, and organizer Brian Archie teach the course, along with a group of all-star guest presenters.

Am I eligible for this program?

All healthcare professionals are eligible for the Civic Health Fellowship, including:

Medical, nursing, or social work students

Interns and residents

Fellows

Social Workers

Physicians

Physician Assistants

Nurses

Public health or community health workers

What will I gain from participating?

We’ve heard from past fellows that this program has connected them to the community of like-minded professionals that they’ve long sought.

Plus, you’ll leave the course with:

Insights into what obstacles affect voter engagement and how to address them

A richer understanding of the relationship between health outcomes and democratic participation

Practical community organizing skills to mobilize colleagues and leaders at your institution or school

Lots of laughs, inside jokes, and most importantly: a network of passionate, like-minded healthcare professionals who, like you, are committed to making a bigger impact in their community

I have another question that isn’t answered here.

E-mail Leah Ford at leah@vot-er.org and we’ll get back to you right away!