FAQs

To be eligible to apply to the Fellowship, candidates must meet the following criteria:

• Enrolled in or recently completed a university degree (or equivalent). Demonstrated sustained civic engagement.

• Involvement in community improvement or development that corresponds with the fellowship being applied to. (E.g., Involvement in work for the Muslim community if applying to MYF).

• An understanding of civic issues faced by the community that corresponds with the fellowship that is being applied to, and the Canadian community at large.

• Flexible weekday for the duration of the placement (4 months) for 12 hours per week.

• Eligible to work in Canada.

The Diversity Youth Fellowship gives valuable experience to fellows and allows them to gain the necessary skills needed for a career in politics, policy, and community organizations..

The program lasts roughly 5 months. This includes all time from the beginning of orientation once our fellows are selected, all phases of the Fellowship program, to the graduation day for the fellowship.

Yes, the placement component of the Fellowship is a paid work placement. Fellows will be employees of the City of Toronto, and paid through city payroll for the hours of work they complete. The training portion of the program is delivered free of cost to participants.

When applying to the fellowship, applicants will submit their resume. The application process also consists of a few short-answer questions that will be written via Google Form. Additionally, applicants will be asked to provide two professional references.

Candidate Requirements:

• Enrolled in or recently completed a university degree (or equivalent). Demonstrated sustained civic engagement.

• Involvement in Muslim community improvement or development (change to whatever fellowship applicable)

• An understanding of civic issues faced by the Muslim Canadian community and the Canadian community at large.

• Flexible weekday for the duration of the placement (4 months) for 12 hours per week.

• Eligible to work in Canada.

Here are some more things to know about the application process:

• References obtained during volunteer positions are also accepted! This is done in order to provide equal opportunities to those who have not yet been able to obtain work experience in the political sector. We understand that the professional journey must begin somewhere, and we acknowledge that there are plenty of talented individuals to discover who are seeking their first steps!

• Those who are currently working for the City of Toronto are unfortunately ineligible for the Fellowship.

Sample application questions include:

What experiences and skills do you have that make you a strong candidate? 

What motivates you to get involved in government and politics?

Networking is an integral part of the Fellowship program. Specifically, an opportunity to network with past fellows is provided during the training phase of the program. 

Additionally, once the Fellowship is completed, Fellows have the opportunity to remain a part of the UARR Alumni Network. This further connects fellows to a diverse group of professional individuals, new University graduates, and other highly-motivated and ambitious individuals who are looking to get the most out of their careers.

The time commitment to the Fellowship program is about 12 hours per week, meaning Fellows are able to balance their studies, other employment, and personal commitments.

Fellows are given training, both Fellowship-specific and general. Training sessions happen before the Fellowship Program begins and are unpaid.

Fellows are also matched with a Mentor to ensure that they are given support and guidance during their time in the program. This is also a good opportunity for fellows to meet a professional who is already in their field of interest, to get the most career and education related knowledge, as well as preparation from the program.

Training sessions typically run a full day from 10am - 5pm, with multiple modules focused around a single topic. Topics can include campaign skills, political communications, professional development, advocacy.  Guest speakers are selected from some of the leaders in their respective fields, coming with extensive experience and victories to their name, and from across the political spectrum.

We will not know which councillors participate in the program until after the October election. All councillors will be given the opportunity to opt into the program on a first-come first-serve basis, and the first 15 to express interest will take fellows. Our program team will take the needs of offices, the skills of Fellows, areas of policy interest, and political affiliation into account when matching Fellows into Council offices.