Urban Conservation and Community Fellowship Program

In collaboration with our network of community-based partners, the Fund is committed to creating and using urban greenspaces to shape more equitable neighborhoods and help mitigate adverse effects of climate change, pollution and neglect that occur in historically disinvested pockets of urban communities. Our Parks with Purpose program works shoulder to shoulder with community leaders and residents to improve greenspace assets such as parks, greenways and urban gardens, while simultaneously strengthening the capacity of community organizations and empowering residents by building greener foundations.

Throughout our work, we endeavor to strengthen the capacity of community organizations and engage residents in shaping their neighborhoods. We’re excited to announce a new initiative that will do just that – our newly launched Urban Conservation and Community (UCC) Fellowship program. The program aims to support leadership development for a new generation of diverse urban conservation professionals focused on community-based action while increasing the capacity, impact, and effectiveness of community-based organizations working to make their neighborhoods safer, greener, and more equitable.

In this first year of the UCC Fellowship program we plan to place four fellows into full-time professional roles within community-based organizations currently partnered with TCF through our Parks with Purpose program in four cities: Washington, D.C.; Baltimore, Maryland; Raleigh, North Carolina; and Atlanta, Georgia. In collaboration with their host organization and TCF, each fellow will develop a 12-month work plan to advance community-driven initiatives, such as realizing park, trail or other greenspace visions and related social, economic and environmental benefits.

To ensure that our UCC fellows are prepared to support their host organizations and the communities in which they are embedded, we will provide professional development training in core curriculum areas including: Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion; Meaningful Community Engagement; Fundraising and Grant Writing; and Nonprofit Budget Management. Additionally, the fellows will connect regularly to share in each other’s learning and experience.

Further support will come from members of the UCC Fellowship Advisory Council who are helping guide program development, candidate recruitment and professional development. We are so grateful to our Advisory Council members for providing their time, mentoring support and expertise:

• Carolynn Brunette, co-executive director of Prince Charitable Trusts
• Akiima Price, award-winning family and community engagement specialist
• Ronda Lee Chapman, associate vice president of equity and belonging at The Trust for Public Land
• Carmera Thomas-Wilhite, vice president of diversity, equity, inclusion and justice at Chesapeake Bay Foundation
• Julie Judkins, co-founder of Just-Trails and environmental consultant
• Amin Davis, state & local projects grant manager, NC Department of Environmental Quality Division of Water Resources and environmental nonprofit volunteer consultant

With the Advisory Council and partner organizations in place, we’re excited to open the application process to select our inaugural class of fellows. If you or someone you know is interested in finding out more, please check out the UCC Fellowship program job description and online application. We look forward to welcoming our first group of fellows in 2024 and will continue to update the progress of this program in future blog posts, so stay tuned!