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State of Engagement Fellowship
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
I am not a state government employee, I work for my local or county government. Can I still apply to the fellowship?
At this moment, we are only accepting applications from state government employees in the California Executive Branch and Constitutional Offices and who work within civic engagement, participatory policymaking and outreach. Stay tuned for future opportunities to get involved.
I have 1-3 years of work experience in state government, am I eligible to be a fellow?
We are looking for mid to senior level career staff who have experience either managing teams, projects, and policy development, and who can help influence the design and execution of civic engagement initiatives. This fellowship is not designed for entry-level state workers.
When will the monthly sessions take place, and will they be in-person or virtual?
We anticipate our monthly sessions to take place virtually at 5:00 PM on Wednesdays in the months of July, October, December, and February. Each selected fellow will be required to attend a kickoff orientation currently scheduled on UC Berkeley’s campus on Friday, May 29. The remainder of the sessions are expected to be virtual during lunch hours or afterhours so as to not interfere with fellows’ workday. The fellowship will conclude with an in-person closing ceremony in Sacramento, CA in May 2027.
Following the success of the State of Engagement Summit and the release of the State of Engagement case study report in October 2025, developed in partnership with state government leaders, the UC Berkeley Possibility Lab is proud to announce the State of Engagement Fellows Program.
The Fellowship will bring together 8-10 mid-to-senior-level leaders from state departments and agencies who oversee civic engagement, participatory policymaking, and community outreach. It will provide structured opportunities to deepen relationships across agencies, learn evidence-based practices, and pilot new models of engagement with the support of Possibility Lab staff, researchers, and civtech partners. Fellows could represent a range of policy areas, including but not limited to health, environment, education, workforce, and justice, reflecting the cross-cutting nature of engagement work in state government.
The Fellowship will launch in May 2026 and conclude in May 2027. It will include one in-person orientation meeting and quarterly online discussion workshops, as well as offering optional trainings and 1:1 support. The program will conclude with an event in Sacramento to showcase the fellows’ work.
Who Should Apply
The fellowship seeks to attract a diverse cohort of inaugural fellows from different backgrounds and experiences, who currently work in mid-to-senior level positions in state departments or agencies, and who have influence in enacting innovations in civic engagement, participatory policymaking, and outreach. This fellowship is designed for those mid-to-senior-level leaders in state government who would like to pursue a project that focuses on technical and/or policy strategies in one or more of the following thematic areas:
- Increasing uptake of government services by historically underserved populations
- Increasing diverse residents’ engagement with state government
- Ensuring equity in the delivery of public services
- Improving the use of government data to evaluate and scale public policy solutions
Fellows Will Receive
- Access to a mentorship network and a cohort of fellows
- Support from Possibility Lab faculty, research staff, and graduate student researchers
- Opportunities to share and receive feedback on current and planned public engagement activities and works in progress
- Opportunities to interact with UC Berkeley students and the broader community
- Access to a wide range of conferences, symposia, and other events hosted at UC Berkeley
Possibility Lab staff will also facilitate the following (optional) activities for interested Fellows:
- Meet with leading researchers from across the UC system who can advise and collaborate on relevant research and/or practical interventions in state government
- Serve as a guest lecturer in a UC Berkeley graduate or undergraduate course
- Participate in a public speaker series on campus
- Attend trainings on topics of interest identified by fellows during the program
- Schedule 1:1 advising sessions with Possibility Lab research and program staff
During their 1-year commitment, Fellows are expected to:
- Attend the in-person kickoff meeting on the UC Berkeley campus in May
- Participate in quarterly online workshops with their fellowship cohort
- Engage with Possibility Lab staff to design and implement an engagement project in their own work
- With support from UC Possibility Lab staff, author at least one blog post or reflection on the Possibility Lab website
Timeline
- January 2026: Call for Application Opens
- February 15, 2026: Applications Close
- March & April 2026: Interviews and Selection
- May 2026: Orientation/Kickoff Dinner at UC Berkeley
- July 2026: Session 1 – The IMPACT Model for Community Engagement
- October 2026: Session 2 – Engagement in Times of Crisis (Fires, Immigration Raids, etc)
- December 2026: Session 3 – Emerging Digital Tools for Engagement
- February 2027: Session 4 – Turning Engagement Strategies into Policy Change
- May 2027: Celebration/Presentations/Certificates
Questions:
For more information, please contact Jesse Melgar at jmelgar@berkeley.edu
The State of Engagement Fellowship is an initiative of the UC Berkeley Possibility Lab, which works to bridge the gap between government and community for policy impact.
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