Healthy Communities Fellowship

Supporting leaders of color from communities in the United States where well-being is disproportionately impacted by economic, racial, and health disparities.

2025 HCF Nomination Now Open!

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What is the Healthy Communities Fellowship?

The Healthy Communities Fellowship prepares fellows to lead from a place of lived and learned experience as they cultivate healthy communities.  The fellowship provides individualized and tailored communication, narrative, and leadership training and coaching. We believe those closest to the challenges are best positioned to design and implement the solutions, so we equip locally rooted leaders with communication, leadership, and advocacy training to drive change in their community. Fellows learn to write opinion pieces, devise advocacy plans, conduct interviews, and establish a social media presence to position themselves as experts. Using the Aspen Global Innovators vast experience and influential network, we prepare fellows to lead from a place of lived and learned experience as they cultivate healthy communities.

What makes a Healthy Communities Fellow?

Healthy Communities Fellows are people who make things happen in their communities. Fellows bring a deep connection and commitment to their work. It isn't just a job -- it's a passion. The most successful Fellows approach the year as an investment in themselves. That means making time to actively engage in training and mentorship, to think and write, and to support and be supported by their cohort. This is a U.S.-based fellowship that benefits from curated connections with global leaders.  

  • Have a commitment to changing health and wellbeing outcomes in your community 
  • Have a passionate, personal connection to the community and the health challenges its members face 
  • Have a commitment to using the fellowship opportunity to strengthen their organization and the movements that they serve
  • Have a commitment to courageously using your voice to advocate for your community 
  • Have a readiness to take the time to invest in yourself and reflect on how you lead sustainably 
2019 Healthy Communities Fellow Jennie Joseph argues for simple and easy access point interventions to tackle maternal mortality at the Aspen Ideas: Health stage.

Healthy Communities Review Committee

In the US, community leaders are showing up, starting initiatives and growing efforts that address the health inequities at their root. The Healthy Communities Fellowship hosts this Review Committee of renowned leaders to advise on fellow selection and program development.

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Meet our 2024 Healthy Communities Fellows

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