Lead For America
Cradle-to-Career Connector - Southern MN (RiseUp Partnership), RPC Fellow
Northfield, Minnesota, United States · On-site · Posted 2026-11-06
Note: This is a full-time RPC AmeriCorps position with RiseUp Partnership
About the Rural Partners Corps: The Rural Partners Corps (RPC) is a new AmeriCorps service fellowship from Lead For America (LFA) that places locally rooted fellows with rural, place-based backbone organizations. Fellows already live in or near the communities they serve. They bring local knowledge, transferable skills, relationships, and a commitment to making their communities stronger. RPC Fellows will serve 40 hours per week from December through August, working alongside Host Site staff and community partners to build organizational and community capacity and advance cradle-to-career economic mobility for rural young people.
About RiseUp Partnership & the Southeast Minnesota Cradle to Career Regional Partnership RiseUp Partnership is on a mission to ensure Goodhue County offers abundant opportunities for all young people to unleash their potential. We serve youth and families through caring, responsive programming, and we foster shared action among partners committed to supporting youth.
The Southeast Minnesota Cradle to Career Regional Partnership would bring together local cradle-to-career partnerships and aligned organizations to strengthen outcomes for children, youth, and families through shared learning, aligned action, and collective voice. Austin Aspires (Austin, MN), Cradle 2 Career (Rochester, MN, Healthy Community Initiative(Northfield/ Faribault, MN), RiseUp Partnership (Red Wing, MN)
Position Overview The RPC fellow will support regional efforts to build and strengthen the infrastructure for the Southern Minnesota C2C Learning & Improvement Network across the broader region. Working under the guidance and direction of program staff, the Member will assist with regional partner meetings, tracking collaborative work plans, and mapping the regional asset landscape to identify shared challenges and strategic alignment opportunities. Key responsibilities include compiling publicly available data and supporting repeatable processes for updating it; documenting educational and workforce best practices into a regional framework; and supporting staff-led engagement with cross-sector partners, including postsecondary institutions, employers, foundations, and public agencies. Additionally, the Member will assist staff with gathering youth and family voices to inform regional priorities, researching funding opportunities and organizing information to support staff-led sustainability planning, and producing communications—such as briefs, dashboards, and success stories—that showcase the collective reach and progress of Cradle-to-Career initiatives throughout Southeast Minnesota.
Key Responsibilities The RPC fellow will: • Coordination: Organize meetings of the C2C organizations and partners in the Member’s assigned geography, maintain shared work plans, document decisions, follow up on action items, and provide coordination support to help partners maintain progress on collaborative projects between meetings. Meeting priorities, partner commitments, and project direction remain the responsibility of program staff and participating organizations. • Landscape Mapping: Inventory programs, resources, employers, postsecondary partners, workforce organizations, and other assets across the communities they serve. Identify where communities have similar challenges, where services differ, and where collaboration may be beneficial; compile findings for staff and partner review. • Data and Shared Measurement: Compile publicly available data for their geography and assist staff with developing repeatable processes for updating it. Organize and summarize data for staff and network partners; do not independently establish regional performance measures or make policy or funding decisions. • Best-Practice Documentation: Interview staff and partners across the communities they serve to identify what is working in areas such as high school graduation, postsecondary planning, career exploration, mentoring, family engagement, and transitions after high school. With staff guidance, the end product could contribute to a Southeast Minnesota C2C Best Practices Framework for review and use by participating organizations. • Partner Engagement: Support staff-led engagement with organizations whose footprint extends beyond one community (postsecondary institutions, workforce development organizations, employers, foundations, counties, state agencies, etc.) so C2C organizations can better coordinate their outreach and share information with common partners. The Member may assist with meeting preparation, information gathering, documentation, and follow-up; staff and participating organizations retain responsibility for partnership development, commitments, and decisions. • Youth and Family Voice: Assist staff and partners with gathering input from young people and families and documenting their experiences so they can inform network discussions and priorities. Conduct listening sessions or surveys using staff-approved methods and applicable consent, privacy, and data-handling procedures. • Sustainability: Research funding opportunities, maintain a funding calendar, and compile information that may help staff identify potential collaborative funding opportunities. The Member may assist with research and preparation of background materials for staff review but will not independently solicit funding, submit grant applications, make funding commitments, or manage grant development. Any fundraising activities must be specifically approved, comply with AmeriCorps fundraising requirements, and remain within applicable limits. • Communications and Knowledge Sharing: Develop briefs, success stories, presentations, dashboards, or other materials that demonstrate the collective reach and impact of C2C organizations in Goodhue County and across Southeast Minnesota for staff and partner review and approval before distribution.
All service activities are performed under the guidance, supervision, and direction of program staff. The Member provides coordination, research, documentation, outreach, and communications support and does not independently lead or manage the regional network, supervise staff or partners, establish regional policy or strategy, make commitments on behalf of participating organizations, or assume responsibilities otherwise assigned to paid employees.
Learning & Development Opportunities As an RPC fellow, you will receive structured training and support throughout your service year, including: • A week-long virtual orientation with the national cohort to kick off the service year. • A week-long, in-person national Winter Institute convening with your Lead For America cohort — travel, lodging, and a per diem stipend are fully covered. • Twice-monthly virtual training on skills for service, including project management, asset-based community development, grant writing, and serving vulnerable populations, plus self-paced curricula with opportunities to earn badges and credentials. • A structured community listening tour at the start of service to understand local needs, assets, and opportunities. • Dedicated 1:1 support from a Lead For America Program Coordinator and twice-monthly peer pod meetings for networking and professional development. • Access to a national network of Lead For America fellows, alumni, and community partners.
Requirements Who We’re Looking For The ideal RPC Fellow is a community-rooted, service-oriented, self-directed professional who lives in or near the rural community where they will serve. The ideal candidate brings: • A meaningful connection to the community and understanding of its strengths, priorities, and relationships • A commitment to serving the community where they live • Strong relationship-building, communication, and collaboration skills • Initiative and independence to organize work and move projects forward • Transferable skills in areas such as project management, community engagement, youth development, workforce development, partnership development, communications, or organizational capacity building • The ability to work across nonprofit, government, education, business, and community sectors • Humility and curiosity—the ability to learn from community members and local leaders rather than arrive with predetermined solutions • Alignment with the Host Site's mission, values, culture, and priorities • Readiness to meet LFA, AmeriCorps, and service fellowship expectations
Eligibility: • Be a U.S. Citizen, National, or Lawful Permanent Resident . • Hold a high school diploma or GED equivalent. • Be 17 years of age or older by the start of service. • Have not already served four (4) or more AmeriCorps State/National terms.
Timeline: We are currently recruiting fellows to serve from December 7th, 2026 - August 13th, 2027. Fellows will serve full-time (approximately 40 hours per week), completing 1200 hours of service over the course of the term.
Application Process: • Submit Your Application: Complete the application on the next page to join our general talent pool. • Host Site Review: Our host site organization will review your application, and invite those moving forward to interview. • Lead For America Interview: Finalist candidates will be invited to interview with the Lead For America team.
Benefits Full-time RPC fellows receive: • Stipend: $23,300 living allowance dispersed biweekly over the course of the service term. • Education Award: $5,220 Segal AmeriCorps Education Award upon successful completion of the program. • Support: Access to a national network of fellows, community partners, alumni, and 1:1 support. • Student loan forbearance and childcare support for eligible fellows. • Healthcare coverage: Medical, dental, and vision coverage (if applicable). • Fully-funded training throughout the year. • Hands-on experience, in-demand skills, and career exploration in community development and digital inclusion.
Non-Discrimination
This institution operates in accordance with Federal and AmeriCorps civil rights and non-discrimination requirements. This program is available to all. All program documents, including compliance history information, may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact us at ACCinfo@leadforamerica.org Note: The RPC program does not offer part-time or remote fellow positions at this time.
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