Springboard Professional Development
In service of developing 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 needs of campuses. All training components will tie directly to students with a relationship-based engagement lens. Examples of some of these training areas may include:
Design Thinking is not just a methodology – it’s a mindset that encourages innovative problem-solving, empathetic understanding, and collaborative ideation. By developing this unique skill set, you will be able to foster creative thinking to contribute to the ongoing success of Hillel initiatives.
By working alongside professional Jewish educators at Hillel International, Fellows will develop a deep passion for Jewish wisdom, history, culture, and text, and be trained on how to foster that passion in students. 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.
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, where students go beyond the walls of Hillel for a journey of learning, growth, and engagement. By receiving training in the art of Jewish retreat-making, Fellows will learn everything from goal-setting to venue selection to experience design methodology.
By being introduced to frameworks for courageous conversations, Fellows will learn how to support students to speak, listen, challenge each other, and make decisions together with honesty, mutual recognition and respect.
With a lens of culturally responsive care, this training will allow Fellows to build cultures of wellness at their campus Hillel for students and staff alike. While Fellows WILL NOT replace mental health professionals, Fellows can support students to thrive holistically and build programs and initiatives that help students flourish personally and socially.