Fellowship

While the majority of Fellows are in political studies programs at university or college many Fellows study business, sciences, communications, arts, law, etc. Most Fellows have previous volunteer experience from federal/provincial/municipal election campaigns, have volunteered for their local EDA, MP/provincial/municipal representative or are members of their campus political club. The Fellowship is a unique environment which brings together students of diverse academic, social, regional, cultural, partisan and religious beliefs.

No, however, travel costs, room and board are paid for by CJPAC during the Fellowship conference.

• Enrolled full-time or part-time in an undergraduate, graduate, or college program at a Canadian post-secondary institution for both semesters of the 2023-2024 academic year; 
• Only applicants in their second year of postsecondary education or above will be accepted;
• Canadian citizen or permanent resident; unfortunately, we cannot accept exchange students; 
• Available to attend all days of the national conference, no exceptions. 

The Fellowship program takes place over a full academic year, beginning early October through to the end of May. Please note that all applicants who are accepted must be available to attend the in-person conference in November with no exceptions. In addition to the conference there are bi-weekly Sunday night Zoom calls; the schedule will be published in November.

The process includes completing the application form (found on the CJPAC website), submitting short responses to questions and including an updated resume. Providing at least one political reference is strongly recommended, but not required. Political references could be an elected official, Senator, Candidate, campus club president, campaign team member or a director from an Electoral District Association.

Short listed candidates will be contacted for an interview, which could take place by phone, Zoom or in person. Successful applicants will be notified by mid September. Please note, only successful applicants will be contacted. 

The Fellowship year begins with participating in the conference in November. There, Fellows will hear from high-profile guest speakers and participate in intensive political training. During the conference Fellows will also work on a group project that puts their political skills to the test. During the year Fellows must participate in all conference calls, which take place on Sunday at 7:00pm EST. Participants are also required to create and execute a campus event to promote political engagement amongst their peers. 

While the Fellowship Program is demanding, it is also a tremendous opportunity for Canadian students to learn about our democracy and gain the skills required to really make a difference. Not only do Fellows meet with elected officials and staffers, they also build a network. Fellows are always willing to help one another out on campus-related issues and later on in their professional lives. There are also opportunities to attend CJPAC events, political events and other conferences.

Successful applicants are willing to fully commit themselves and engage in all training and development opportunities and volunteer activities. They will work to develop professional relationships with CJPAC staff and guest speakers, as well as other Fellows.

In order to get the most out of the Fellowship experience it is important to have a number of interests and extra-curricular activities. However, our experience has shown that those who are over committed tend not to be able to give the Fellowship the focus it requires and therefore they miss out on the opportunities the program provides.

Participation in the November conference is mandatory.

Participation in all Sunday night conference calls is required. There are no opportunities to makeup missed training or events. Should there be a conflict with work obligations or serious personal circumstances, please speak with the Director, Klara Mancini-Hupel, in advance. Please note that absences from training/events without reasonable explanation may result in your removal from the program. As any of our CJPAC Fellow Alum would attest, it is a privilege to participate in the program, we expect you to treat it as such. 

The Fellowship Conference is mid-November. The Sunday night conference call schedule will follow.

Yes, however the strongest applications will have at least a few hours of political experience.

Yes. There are only 50 spots available each year so competition is fierce for the CJPAC Fellowship Program. Unsuccessful applicants are always invited to ask for suggestions on how to improve their application for next year. Through volunteering, participation in events (both political and CJPAC) and additional training you can improve your political and leadership skills which will certainly make your application stronger the following year.

We are looking for diversity. We are looking for Fellows with strong communication and interpersonal skills, who are eager to learn, committed to respectful interaction and dialogue with people from different political parties and beliefs and who are willing to generously commit their time and energies to political involvement, as well as involvement with CJPAC and the pro-Israel community.