FAQ

Working in partnership with non-profits, city agencies, and schools, Fellows take action to improve the lives of young people by:

• Serving as mentors in young people’s lives
• Providing children with safe spaces and structured activities during out of school time
• Leading academic enrichment activities
• Facilitating college and career exploration programs
• Coming together in community for meetings and connection

Fellow projects:

• Are out-of-school time projects working with youth in grades 6-12
• Are new projects or an expansion of an existing project
• Have a large-scale impact
• Are Fellow-led or are a Fellow-led portion of a larger project

Fellows are recruited from across the country and come from diverse backgrounds. The average age of a Fellow is 21-25, however we do not have an age cap. All Fellows exhibit:

• A passion for serving and supporting young people
• Proven leadership skills and the desire to learn and grow in this area
• Excellent communication skills
• A commitment to social justice and education equity
• Demonstrated task management and organizational experience

Fellows have served in over fifty communities across Massachusetts—from Boston to Falmouth and from Lynn to Marlborough. Fellows have served with organizations both large and small, including non-profits, schools, and city agencies. See our host sites on our Service Position Openings page!

For an 11 month commitment and 1,700 hours of service Fellows receive:

• Taxable annual living allowance up to $27,000
• Segal Education Award of up to $7,395
• FREE CLASSES at Northeastern University’s College of Professional Studies and discounted courses upon program completion
• Excellent training opportunities
• Transportation allowance to Fellow meetings
• Loan forbearance
• Health benefits
• Access to a Member Assistance Program

See our full list of Benefits and Resources on our Fellow Benefits page.

• See our Be a Fellow page for more information.
• Complete the online application. Be prepared to provide contact information for your references, and upload your resume and cover letter (or audio and work experience in lieu of resume and cover letter).
• Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. All applications received from this point will be contacted within two weeks of submitting their application.

If you need to request an accommodation or require technical assistance with the application, please contact Mona Miao at m.miao@northeastern.edu.

Fellow Onboarding

Once you’ve accepted the offer to join the Massachusetts Promise Fellowship, your on-boarding begins. You will be asked to complete onboarding documentation, background check, and schedule a fingerprint appointment before service begins.

MPF does cover the financial cost of these tests but if your meeting is missed, you will be responsible for the rescheduled cost.

You will also be added to an online platform (Basecamp) where you can connect with MPF staff and Fellows to start planning for your service year. Many Fellows also begin looking for housing during the summer.

Summer Welcome Session

By this time, you should have completed required logistical items such as your background check and fingerprints.

Welcome sessions give you an inside look at your benefits, stipend, institutional knowledge, support structures and necessary information to be successful for your year of service. They also give you an opportunity to meet with new and returning Fellows before your service year begins.

• Expanded tutoring and academic enrichment programs focused on STEM education to schools throughout the Greater Boston area, reaching more youth and creating a foundation for better MCAS scores in math and science
• Designed and led college and career exploration program, including workshops, college tours, and mentoring, for youth at an afterschool program.

Fellow Orientation Week

Fellow Orientation is an intensive week-long immersion that will provide you with the foundations, skills, and mindsets needed to be an effective youth worker. This week occurs during the first week of service in mid-August, before you start service at your host site placement. At this time, you will be joined by the entire Fellow cohort to engage in approximately 40 hours of learning and building connections with other Mass Promise Fellows.

By the end of Orientation you will be ready to begin your first day at your host site placement. 

Monthly Professional Development 

Your day-to-day life as a Mass Promise Fellow corps member will take place at your host site placement where you will interact with students and host site staff. In addition, the MPF leadership team will continue to supplement your learning and development by offering monthly professional development sessions for the entire Fellow cohort from September to June. Training topics will include: positive youth development, adultism, curriculum building, classism, racism, and more. Meetings are led by MPF leadership staff, alumni, and external hosts across our network.   

These sessions enhance community development, grow Fellow practices that can be infused into day-to-day work, and build professional competencies.

Fall and Spring Fellow Retreats

Twice during the year Fellows and MPF staff will participate in 2-3 day (overnight) retreats to build community within the cohort, create space for Fellows to relax and recharge, as well as provide additional training relevant to Fellow service or life after AmeriCorps.

Specific Training Opportunities Include:

• Leadership and team building
• Social justice training (race, class, LGBTQ+, ableism trainings)
• Youth development
• Project planning and implementation
• Volunteer recruitment
• Asset-based community development
• Career coaching
• Non-profit management

Fellows are part of the national service network of over 100,000,000 AmeriCorps members and alumni. AmeriCorps engages Americans of all ages in intensive, results-driven service each year.

The Fellowship shares its vision with America’s Promise. The Massachusetts Service Alliance, Northeastern University, and the College of Professional Studies are also the program’s partners.

Fellows are eligible to take free courses at Northeastern University’s College of Professional Studies during their year of service. Fellows can choose from undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education courses. Courses are offered in the evenings and Fellows also have the opportunity to enroll in online courses.

Fellows interested in taking courses at the College of Professional Studies are required to apply for admission and submit the required application materials.

Over 600 Fellows have completed the program and were able to live on the $27,000 (or less) annual stipend. The full compensation amount (stipend + insurance + classes at Northeastern + other benefits) that MPF provides to Fellows is closer to $40,000+. Many Fellows have part-time jobs, live with roommates and find other ways to make additional income.

In addition, the Fellowship helps out by:

• Providing full coverage of your health insurance premium
• Providing Fellows with support to access additional government benefits (i.e. SNAP, healthcare, discounted MBTA passes, fuel assistance)
• Providing workshops on budgeting
• Providing an emergency fund

Since Fellows receive a stipend and not a wage, they qualify for public assistance. Many Fellows take advantage of this benefit each year and receive SNAP (food stamps) and/or fuel assistance. It is important that all Fellows understand that they are committing to a year of service for the experience, not the paycheck.