DRAFT Community Health Fellowship DRAFT V2.1

What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility -- a recognition on the part of every American that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world; duties that we do not grudgingly accept, but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character than giving our all to a difficult task. This is the price and the promise of citizenship. - President Barack Obama, First Inaugural Address.

One third of Horseshoe Farm’s mission is to prepare citizen service leaders for tomorrow’s communities. But what is a citizen service leader?

In nearly every community there are individuals who dedicate and stretch themselves far beyond what is required in service to their neighbors and their broader community. They build trust by getting involved and reaching out, by being honest and mature, by completing tasks and fulfilling commitments, by working well with others, and by consistently going above and beyond for others. These individuals don’t pursue this path for pay, recognition, ease of life, or external reward. They understand that part of the deal is feeling challenged, extended, and often fatigued. They thrive, persevere, and ultimately sustain themselves by the opportunity to use their time and talents to fulfill their duty to their neighbors and their community, and to work with others to try to make things a little better.

Horseshoe Farm believes that there is a particular type of citizen service leadership that has a special capacity to change lives, strengthen the social fabric in local communities, and improve community health in a way that cuts across the differences between us that can sometimes divide us. It is formed by individuals who build relationships with, quietly care for, and provide volunteer service to their vulnerable neighbors.

To help extend this important form of citizen service leadership in local communities, Horseshoe Farm has created a one-year Community Health Fellowship for top recent college graduates. Fellows apply Horseshoe Farm’s time-tested model with partner organizations in healthcare, education, and other areas to extend these organization’s capacity to provide relationship-based support to children, adults living with mental illness, seniors, and other vulnerable individuals.

Through this work, Fellows learn about the intricate relational and humanistic aspects of service, experience a way of engaging and working effectively with local institutions and local communities, and learn how their work contributes to a broader framework of community health.

Accepted Fellows receive free housing, an educational grant of $800-$1050/month (site dependent), and valuable experience through:

Mentored relationship focused volunteer service to seniors, adults living with mental illness, other vulnerable adults, and children.
Work with health providers, teachers, community center and nursing home leaders, and other local service leaders, extending their capacity to provide relationship focused care and support to those they serve.
Hands on exposure to Horseshoe Farm’s multidimensional approach to impacting community health and the biopsychosocial aspects of community health.
Close work and collaboration with a team of other talented Fellows and ongoing teaching and mentorship from top notch Site Directors.
Learning about health systems, health policy, and Horseshoe Farm’s approach to reinforcing and strengthening health and education systems and engaging and working effectively with local communities.
Experience with and learning about operations, strategy, management, leadership, finances, and other aspects of community based non-profit organizations, including learning about starting new initiatives.
Volunteer work with local community organizations and other opportunities to get to know your local community more broadly.
Weekly reading and discussion series (syllabus overview)

Fellows consistently go on to some of the top medical, nursing, public health, health management, and education programs in the nation and a significant number have received the most prestigious scholarships and awards at their respective institutions.

If you’d like to learn more about the work we do, please visit the following pages for detailed information about our programs and the Fellowship:

Please note that though we believe that activism and political advocacy can be important means for achieving positive change, Horseshoe Farm does not engage in political advocacy or activism or take positions on political issues or other causes, and neither political advocacy nor activism is part of the Fellowship experience or the Horseshoe Farm culture. There are many excellent organizations that focus on activism and political advocacy, and if these are your interests for your gap year, we encourage you to seek out opportunities with these organizations.

The Fellowship has two locations in Alabama (Greensboro and Perry County sites) and one in California (Pomona Site). You may submit applications for any or all of the 3 locations through the Apply Now button below (Note: You must have a Google Account to complete the application via the link. If you do not have a Google Account, please download this word document and email the completed document in pdf format to apply@projecthsf.org)

To avoid mismatched expectations, we believe that it is extremely important for Horseshoe Farm to be transparent about and for prospective Fellows to understand the values, mission, culture, and approach of Horseshoe Farm. Mismatched expectations are not in the best interest of anyone involved. We believe that Horseshoe Farm can be an extremely valuable part of your educational journey, but also understand that it is not the right match for everyone. Please ask questions!

Any questions about the application process or fellowship can be directed to our recruitment team at apply@projecthsf.org.

To apply for the Fellowship, please press the "Apply Now" button below to fill out the Google Forms application.