Funding

Partial / Stipend

Program dates

Sep 8, 2026

Fellowship•USA · Chicago · Hybrid

Civic Information Fellowship

City Bureau

Application Deadline

August 11, 2026

Official Page

The Civic Information Fellowship is run by City Bureau, a civic media lab based in the Bronzeville neighborhood of Chicago. Over six months, fellows build skills in community engagement, civic participation and journalism while working on the information gaps that shape their neighbors’ daily lives. The program runs as a cohort: weekly virtual learning sessions, in-person co-working at the City Bureau office, and field work alongside community organizations and local leaders. City Bureau emphasizes racial equity and co-learning, and concentrates its work on South and West Side neighborhoods of color that have experienced systemic disinvestment. Cohorts run in seasonal cycles rather than on a fixed annual schedule; recent ones include Winter 2025, Spring 2025, Fall 2025, Winter 2026 (“Decoding the City Budget”) and now Fall 2026.

Benefits & funding

  • Phase 1: a $5,000 stipend over 14 weeks at 12 hours per week, paid in two-week increments.
  • Phase 2: a $2,800 stipend over 10 weeks at 8 hours per week, paid in two-week increments; fellows who successfully complete Phase 1 are invited to continue.
  • Weekly workshops in journalism, community engagement and civic participation, plus one-on-one coaching.
  • Lunch is provided at the Wednesday in-person session at the Bronzeville office.
  • Hands-on production: audio or written journals, social videos, blogs and explainers, an information-needs project, and an audience engagement strategy.
  • Entry into an alumni network of more than 100 past fellows and residents.

Eligibility

  • Open to people who live in or around Chicago; in-person participation is required.
  • Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States.
  • Reliable transportation to the Bronzeville office and to South and West Side neighborhoods.
  • No specific professional experience is required; prior interest in civic issues shown through projects, training or internships is valued.
  • No degree or educational credential is required.
  • Sessions are mandatory: fellows may miss up to four sessions in Phase 1 and three in Phase 2, and must make up the missed time.
  • City Bureau cautions full-time students and people in demanding jobs that the weekly commitment may be too heavy; exceptions are rare.
  • No nationality, age or gender restriction is stated.

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Application process

  1. 1
    Read the fellowship page; a recording of the July 30 webinar and Q&A about the program is available on YouTube.
  2. 2
    Complete the online application form (hosted on Airtable) linked from the fellowship page.
  3. 3
    Submit by 11:59 p.m. on Aug. 11 — no late submissions are accepted.
  4. 4
    Write the application without AI: City Bureau states that any use of AI to complete the application may result in disqualification.
  5. 5
    Selected fellows start the Fall 2026 cycle on Sept. 8. Questions go to fellowship@citybureau.org.

Program timeline

  1. Program webinar and Q&A (recording on YouTube)

    Jul 30, 2026

  2. Application deadline, 11:59 p.m.

    Aug 11, 2026

  3. Fall 2026 cycle begins — Phase 1, 14 weeks at 12 hours per week

    Sep 8, 2026

  4. Phase 2 (10 weeks at 8 hours per week) follows for fellows invited to continue; City Bureau does not publish its start and end dates.