By Reneé Leta
The One Utah Service Fellowship is the first of its kind in the nation to combine state and federal funding into an AmeriCorps program. The program’s mission is to provide accessible opportunities for young adults to participate in high-impact service to address state needs and priorities. In August, Utah will swear in its inaugural group of One Utah Service Fellows.
“We need to make this the Utah way,” said Utah State Senator Ann Millner of the new fellowship program. “Service is the Utah way of solving problems at a community level, of helping people one-by-one, and doing it in ways where we are working in areas that we really care about.”
The program is an expansion of a similar program for AmeriCorps members who serve through Utah’s nine universities and colleges. Young adults who have exited high school, and also those attending college, can serve in areas they are already studying or have interest in. The program offers opportunity for fellows to try out careers and opportunities while gaining experience in the field.
Service is critically important not just to the community, but to the giver.
Utah Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson
“We are humbled and excited to offer this fellowship,” said Loggins Merrill, director of UServeUtah, a division of the Department of Cultural & Community Engagement. “We hope to see success in service opportunities such as dental hygiene, mental health service, and education. As the One Utah Service Fellowship grows, our goal is to provide more opportunities for members and qualifying service organizations.”
The program aims to provide a path forward for young people with education and career pathways. Fellows can determine their annual service hours, from 100 hours up to 1,700 hours, within a 12-month period. Based on their commitment, fellows can earn scholarship dollars and a living allowance. Scholarships can be used for up to seven years after the fellowship’s completion to attend any institution in the state. The program aims to provide a path forward for young people through education and career pathways.
The One Utah Service Fellowship will offer a service-matching website where all available positions will be listed. In addition to young adults, others will be able to apply for open service positions in their community. Qualified nonprofit organizations and host sites are encouraged to connect with UServeUtah to learn more about how to connect with possible fellows.
“Service is critically important not just to the community, but to the giver,” said Lt. Governor Deidre Henderson. “As we build a culture of service in K-12 and higher education, it will only strengthen our communities, teach leadership and other intangible skills, and keep Utah the wonderful giving place it has always been.”
Learn more about the One Utah Fellowship program by contacting Janell Coleman Torres at [email protected].