Springboard Professional Development
In service of creating well rounded professionals, the Springboard Fellowship offers a wide variety of training that serves as professional development. Fellows are able to choose training that best matches their interests, in collaboration with their supervisor and what is most needed on campus.
Professional Mentorship
Over the course of their two years in the Springboard Fellowship, Fellows will receive 1-1 support from their assigned Springboard Mentor. Springboard Mentors are people with experience in Jewish community building who are Jewish role models and can help Fellows set individualized goals for growth to be met by the Fellowship experience or outside of it. At their best, Mentors can provide both spiritual provocation and support with workplace integration. Fellows are required to meet with their professional mentors once per month and provide support to Fellows throughout their 2 years.
The Akiva Fund
Rabbi Akiva was a renowned Jewish scholar in the latter part of the first century and the beginning of the second century. Rabbi Akiva’s story teaches us that it is never too late or too early to begin learning, or to begin sharing your wisdom with others. In addition to Fellows speciality training, Jewish Studies courses, and 1-on-1 mentoring, Fellows have the opportunity to deepen their individual professional skill set through Springboard’s Akiva Fund.
Every Fellow has up to $3,200 available to use toward professional development experiences. Fellows may use this funding at any time during their time as a Springboard Fellow. The funds may be applied to anything on our pre-approved menu of curated learning opportunities, or Fellows may suggest their own program of study based on their professional interests and needs. Fellows may either decide to spend all $3,200 at once or to spend it on multiple different programs.
Many Fellows utilize their Akiva Funds for immersive experiences, travel to Israel, retreats, seminars, conferences, and graduate courses or certificates. The Springboard Team also keeps a menu of Akiva Fund opportunities up to date each year that is not exhaustive however it is meant to serve as a starting point for Fellows.
Springboard Speciality Trainings
The structure of the Springboard Fellowship aims to reflect the individual Fellows interests and the needs of campuses. Each Fellow will complete two speciality training courses during their Fellowship. All speciality training courses tie directly to student engagement. Examples of Speciality Trainings include:
Poised for dramatic growth and with robust space for creativity and Fellow agency, Fellows who opt for this speciality area will be trained in Design Thinking methodology and other entrepreneurial frameworks, and exposed to the most successful initiatives from across the Hillel movement.
Designed for Fellows who are looking to bolster their skills to become a Jewish Educator, Fellows who opt for this speciality area will have a deep passion for Jewish wisdom, history, and culture, and want to share that passion with others. Fellows will learn the skills they need to run lunch-and-learns, organize Rosh Chodesh groups, devise innovative programming that exposes students to Jewish life and culture in new ways, and lead immersive experiences such as Alternative Spring Break and Birthright trips.
Designed for Fellows who are seeking to start, or continue, their role as a community organizer for campus. Fellows who opt for this speciality area will be trained in the best social action and community organizing methodologies, Fellows will ensure that social justice is a theme woven throughout their Hillel’s regular programming.
For Fellows leading a Jewish Learning Fellowship cohort on their campus, they will learn best practices for teaching the JLF curriculum and leading cohort based learning on their campus.
On campuses with religiously diverse populations where Fellows will lead campus wide initiatives, this training area will work on developing, or continuing to develop, the vision, knowledge, and skills required to build interfaith coalitions on campus.
As a Fellow, you may be empowered to lead, plan, and/or manage a budget for an immersive experience. In this specialty, Fellows will receive the premier training in the art of Jewish retreat making and learn everything from goal-setting to venue selection to experience design.
Fellows who opt for this speciality training area will be introduced to Resetting the Table’s (RTT’s) framework for courageous communication across divides. The approach Fellows learn is designed to support students to speak, listen, challenge each other, and make decisions together with honesty, mutual recognition and respect.