Frequently Asked Questions

Application Questions

What is the application process for the Fellowship?

The first step is the online application, which includes a brief questionnaire, a resume, cover letter, and professional references including one political reference. After applications are screened, candidates will be selected for an in-person interview with a panel from among our organizing team. 

What political experience are you looking for applicants to have? What political reference  is needed? 

Political experience can include paid or volunteer work with a political campaign, candidate, or sitting elected official. Volunteering with a candidate in he ongoing Municipal election, or the recent provincial election, is an example of the political engagement we are looking for. As a non-partisan program, we welcome and encourage engagement with a range of campaigns and offices. 

A political reference can be the representative for whom you worked or volunteered, staff from a campaign you volunteered at, or another supervising figure who can speak to your contributions. 

Who gets accepted into the Fellowship? What does a strong application look like? 

Successful applicants will show a strong interest in political work, and civic engagement broadly. We look for a demonstrated track record of engaging with the development and growth of ethnic/racial/religious Canadian communities (i.e., Muslim, Black, Tamil, and/or Filipino), in all their diversity. A strong application will show what the candidate hopes to gain from the program, and how it will support them in achieving their professional goals. 

Is the Fellowship paid? Is there a cost to participate? 

The training portion of the program is delivered free of cost to participants. The placement component of the Fellowship is a paid work placement. Fellows will be employees of the City of Toronto, and paid through city payroll for the hours of work they complete. 

Program Questions

What does the program timeline look like? 

Fellows will be on-boarded with a two-day orientation and training to begin the program. Exact dates will be given to successful candidates upon their selection. 

Orientation will include the first of monthly day-long trainings that will continue over the course of the program’s eight months. Attendance at all training sessions is mandatory for all Fellows. 

Fellows will begin their work placements after four months of training and preparation. Placements will last for 12 weeks. 

What are the training sessions all about? 

Training sessions typically run a full day from 10am - 5pm, with multiple modules focused around a single topic. Topics can include campaign skills, political communications, professional development, advocacy.  Guest speakers are selected from some of the leaders in their respective fields, coming with extensive experience and victories to their name, and from across the political spectrum. 

What is the time commitment like? 

Fellows accepted into the program are expected to attend each training session. Dates will be provided in advance. Fellows must also be able to commit to 10 - 12 weekday hours of work per week through the duration of their 12 - week placements at City Hall, March through June.

Which Councillors will the Fellows work with?

We will not know which councillors participate in the program until after the October election. All councillors will be given the opportunity to opt into the program on a first-come first-serve basis, and the first 15 to express interest will take fellows. Our program team will take the needs of offices, the skills of Fellows, areas policy interest, and political affiliation into account when matching Fellows into Council offices.