Careership
The Careership Program is a multi-year, collaborative effort designed to train new leaders, particularly people of color, for professional positions in the community development field. Initially capitalized by the National Community Development Initiative’s Human Capital Development Initiative, the program’s current round is funded by local funders, including the Otto Bremer Foundation and the Family Housing Fund, as part of the Changing the Face of Housing in Minnesota initiative.
Since the start of the program, eighty-three people have completed their one-year Careership education and work requirements. Seventy-two percent (72%) of all Careership graduates are now employed in the affordable housing or community development field.
The following table summarizes the 2005 - 2007 participants:
Participants
2005
2006
2007
African American 9 9 8 Latino 1 3 2 Asian 0 2 0 American Indian 1 5 1 African immigrant 3 3 4
LISC also recruits host CDCs and public/private housing agencies or funders for Careership apprentices. Hosts are asked to design assignments that take advantage of Careership participants’ background while exposing the apprentice to specific skill- and experience-building work as well as raising their understanding of the work of the entire organization. Each apprentice works 15 hours a week for one year on a stipended assignment with their host organization.
Past and current Careership hosts include:
CommonBond Communities
Confederation of Somali Community in MN
Dayton’s Bluff Neighborhood Housing Services
East Side Neighborhood Development Company
Family Housing Fund
Greater Frogtown CDC
Habitat for Humanity
Hamline Midway Coalition
Hart-Shegos & Associates
Hope Community
Latino Economic Development Center
Little Earth of United Tribes Housing Corp.
Minnesota Housing Finance Agency
Minneapolis Office of Community Planning and Economic Development
Model Cities CDC
Neighborhood
Development Alliance/Bluff Park Homes
Neighborhood Development Center
Northside Residents Redevelopment Council
Project for Pride in Living
St. Paul GIS Consortium
St. Paul Urban League
Whittier CDC
In addition to their regular work at the host, each apprentice attends a dynamic monthly seminar for twelve months, designed and taught by Metropolitan State University faculty. The seminar covers the history of community development and explores trends and strategies of the field involving guest lecturers from CDCs and other agencies. Participants who attend class and complete the writing assignments receive 3 college credits for the seminar.
Click here to meet some of the Careership graduates.
For more information about the Careership program, please contact Barbara Jeanetta bjeanetta@lisc.org, or Janayah Bagurusi jbagurusi@lisc.org.