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Welcome to the Community Climate Resilience Fellowship
About the Fellowship
The Community Climate Resilience Fellowship is an eight-month leadership program (January – August 2027) that aims to increase opportunities for Massachusetts community leaders to shape how the City of Boston addresses and mitigates the impact of extreme heat on families. Fellows build their skills, capacity and networks by co-designing and co-hosting community information sessions alongside Community Health Worker (CHW) Heat Ambassadors; listening to parents, caregivers and frontline community members about what families need during heat waves; meeting weekly to research, design and plan, and develop recommendations.
Through these opportunities, the fellowship hopes to:
- Strengthen the leadership of caregivers and families in climate resilience
- Uplift community knowledge and strengths-based narratives, and
- Foster collaborative leadership that turns community-identified solutions into policy and program recommendations for the City.
Vital Village Networks approaches child, family and community wellbeing by ensuring effective implementation of community-based strategies, uplifting strengths-based narratives, and fostering sustainable community engagement and leadership. The Community Climate Resilience Fellowship is made possible by a grant from the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) Accelerating Climate Resilience (ACR) Grant Program, and Vital Village Networks is working in partnership with the Mayor's Office of Early Childhood (OEC) and the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC).
2027 Community Climate Resilience Fellowship Applications are now open.
Click Request for Applications button to see details around program dates, goals, stipends for fellows, and project funding.
Key Dates and Deadlines
- Applications Open: November 10, 2026
- Optional Informational Session 1 : November 17, 2026 at 3pm ET - Register Here
- Optional Informational Session 2: December 1, 2026 at 2pm ET - Register Here
- Deadline for Fellowship Application: December 7, 2026 at 5 PM ET
- Finalist Interviews: December 11-15, 2026
- Selection of Community Fellows: December 18, 2026
- Fellowship Program: January - August 2027
Two fellows will be selected by December 18, 2026. Each fellow receives a $8,000 stipend over the course of the fellowship.
Who Can Apply:
Fellows must live in Massachusetts. Priority will be given to applicants with lived experience in Boston's environmental justice neighborhoods, such as Mattapan, Dorchester, Roxbury and East Boston, and to residents of the Metro Boston region.
Fellows do not need a degree or research experience. We welcome parents and caregivers, doulas, community health workers, food access workers, organizers and other community leaders. Background in participatory or community-engaged research is a strength, but not required.
Fellows are asked to hold every Friday (10 AM–4 PM) plus about 4 flexible hours a week from January through June 2027, and about 4 hours a week in July and August 2027. Employed applicants must provide an employer letter confirming they can take part on this schedule. Self-employed applicants and applicants not currently employed sign an agreement statement.
How to Apply:
For detailed information about the fellowship schedule and participation requirements, please refer to the Request for Applications. To start or resume your application, click on the "Apply Here" button above. You will be asked to create a profile with a log in and password. Please save this information to log in and resume your application.
Please note you will be asked to upload a copy of your current resume, an employer letter or signed agreement statement,and at least one (and up to two) letters of recommendation as part of this application.
All applications and recommendations are due by December 7, 2026 at 5 PM ET. Please contact now@vitalvillage.org if you have any questions regarding submission.
Nominate a Fellow:
Know someone who may be a good fit for the fellowship? Nominate them today! While nominations are not required, you can click here to submit a nomination for a friend, colleague, or leader in your community. Nominees will receive an email message inviting them to apply.
Please direct questions to now@vitalvillage.org.