https://civicspark.civicwell.org/about/our-mission/
Our Vision
We envision resilient, equitable, and vibrant communities where our local governments and leaders are empowered and equipped to proactively serve the needs of all community members.
Our Mission
Through National Service, CivicSpark contributes to this vision by:
• Building local public sector capacity to address entrenched and emerging issues;
• Serving as a social purpose career accelerator for future leaders; and • Fostering lasting, authentic community engagement.
What is CivicSpark?
CivicSpark is an AmeriCorps program dedicated to building capacity for local public agencies to address community resilience issues such as climate change, water resource management, housing, and mobility. CivicSpark is a program of CivicWell (formerly the Local Government Commission).
Each year, CivicSpark recruits
Fellows to build local public
agency capacity for 11 months.
During their service year,
CivicSpark Fellows implement a
needed sustainability and
resilience project, while also
building long-term capacity to
ensure the work is sustained
after their service year is
completed.
Local public agencies receive dedicated project support from emerging professionals who receive professional development and sector training. Local benefits include:
https://civicspark.civicwell.org/about/our-mission/
• Direct support for specific resiliency project needs with defined outcomes. • Increased capacity for sustainable communities and response community resilience needs.
• A pipeline for future resiliency efforts.
• Stronger State-local partnerships for information and expertise exchange. • A workforce with local expertise in climate change, energy, water, or social issues.
• Access to affordable resources, resulting in increased capacity and hands-on training.
• Increased volunteerism at the local level.
How does it work?
The CivicSpark program offers a unique opportunity for emerging professionals to gain experience in the sustainability and resilience sectors, gain professional and technical skills, and have a strong statewide network of professionals, all while having a lasting impact on communities. Fellows assist with various levels of project planning and implementation of critical projects on a wide range of topics, including water resources and management, climate adaptation and mitigation, affordable housing, and mobility.
Fellows serve at least 1,700 hours over 11 months with their host agency.
CivicSpark Fellows provide capacity-building support to local governments while simultaneously supporting volunteer engagement. This approach offers a unique opportunity to accelerate local community resilience efforts.
CivicSpark project partners provide
project oversight and professional
development support, which
includes identifying a site
supervisor who will help the
Fellow(s) set project-specific and
professional goals. CivicSpark
Regional Coordinators conduct
monthly Fellow trainings and act as
the liaison between the partner and
the program.
CivicSpark Application
Q1: Project Needs and Goals
Provide a brief description of the resilience needs this project will address. Your description should include 1-2 sentences on each of the following:
• Specific agency/ies served, including specific organizational capacity needs, as they relate to this proposal
• Environmental (e.g., climate, water, etc.) and/or social equity (e.g., affordable housing, mobility, etc.) challenges this project will address
A: The fellow will work in coordination with City Council, City staff, and the Pacifica community in addressing a top City Council priority for this coming year – updating Pacifica’s Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP). By augmenting City staff in the coordination, development, community engagement, and drafting necessary to prepare the updated CAAP, the fellow will assist the City of Pacifica in taking this crucial next step towards identifying the ways it will reduce its carbon footprint and improve its response to the ongoing effects of a changing climate.
Q2: CivicSpark Project Description(s)
Provide a brief description of one or more capacity-building projects. For each project identified, describe the following:
• Overarching goals of the project
• Role of the Fellow in the project
• Desired project outcomes in terms of resources developed (e.g., reports, plans, networks, etc.) • How these resources will help increase the agency’s capacity to address the resilience challenges you described in the previous section. *
A: The City seeks a fellow who will support the completion of a top City Council priority for this coming year – updating Pacifica’s Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP). The fellow will assist with the technical analysis and community engagement necessary to complete the City's proposed CAAP development milestones: a GHG Inventory and Forecast, establishing Goals and Targets, developing the Initiatives, an Implementation Plan, and finally completing a draft CAAP for Council consideration and adoption. The CAAP will be the playbook for the City of Pacifica in how to not only identify the ways, but also the steps necessary to reduce its carbon footprint and improve its response to the ongoing effects of a changing climate.
Q3: Desired Skills and Traits for Fellow Placement
Provide a brief description of the traits or skills you would like to see in a Fellow.
A:
• A deep knowledge base in climate change
• High level of professionalism
• Self-motivated and proactive
• Ability to work independently
• Strong writing and communication skills
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Ability to collaborate effectively with City staff and community members • Willingness to embrace community-led decision making and observe without interfering Q4: (Optional response):
Fellow participation in CivicSpark is constrained by the limited stipend we can offer as an AmeriCorps program. The first-year stipend for 2023-24 is $34,000 and $39,000 for second-year Fellows serving at the same site. CivicWell strives to diversify the resources we can offer to Fellows (e.g., housing opportunities, parking passes, transit subsidies, etc.). Any non-monetary resources you can provide to Fellows could make a significant difference; we encourage you to identify them here (CivicWell will follow-up on these during the application interview and startup process). Note: host sites CANNOT provide additional financial stipends or hourly pay to the Fellow(s).
A: City Staff are currently developing the City’s Fiscal Year 2023-2034 budget and will be able to provide more information once the budget has been adopted by the City Council.
Q5: Provide a brief description of: your workplace culture and environment, including a demonstrated commitment to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion, how serving with your organization will be a good professional development experience, and why your community is an interesting place to live and work.
A: The City of Pacifica is a beautiful community located on the California coast, just south of San Francisco and framed in by mountain ranges to the east and south and by the stunning views of the Pacific Ocean on the west. Famous for surfing and excellent hiking, Pacifica is a sought-out destination for lovers of the outdoors, and those who want access to the San Francisco Bay Area’s limitless offering of events and activities, without the hustle and bustle of a big city.
The City of Pacifica as an agency is a mirror of its community: conscientious, engaged, tight knit, and relatively small. Made of up 280 full and part time staff, staff represent every slice of humanity and the globe. The Executive Team members model servant leadership and a passion for community service and those who join the staff tend to share those values, finding fulfillment in the exciting challenge of meeting community needs. The City also actively supports a healthy work-life balance and places priority on the wellbeing of its staff, offering hybrid work, when possible, an employee assistance program, and encouraging staff to make use of their leave time.
As a smaller organization, City staff have the opportunity to work in close collaboration with other departments and have exposure to a broad spectrum of local government work, expanding knowledge and appreciation for how all the parts of the organization work with and for each other. The City is part of San Mateo County, which is neighbor to both San Francisco and the Silicon Valley, and staff have the opportunity to be part of numerous regional groups collaborating across the full spectrum of government services, providing abundant networking, collaboration, and professional development opportunities.
For its people and its beauty, Pacifica is wonderful place to work.