Leadership for Democracy and Social Justice at the Colin Powell School and CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies invites applications for the second cohort of our Movement Leader Fellowship, a program designed to give established professionals in the social justice sector an opportunity to hone their leadership skills, immerse themselves in theory and practice, and expand their community in movement work. This year-long program provides an intensive cohort experience, granting people the chance to connect and build relationships across issues, take space for reflection, and prepare themselves for the next level of leadership. The program offers a unique combination of academic coursework to expose practitioners to relevant fields in political economy, policy, and organizing with practical skills such as management, communications, and strategy development to support participants’ growth.

The Movement Leader Fellowship is for leaders in labor, advocacy, and community organizing with approximately 10-15 years of experience in social justice work. We are especially seeking applicants from historically marginalized backgrounds such as Black Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC), women and nonbinary people, LGBTQ+ people, and people from low-income, working class, and immigrant backgrounds.

The program includes three week-long in-person gatherings at the beginning, middle, and end of the year, focusing on cohort and community building, practical skills building, discussions about career pathways, and navigating personal and inner dimensions of leadership. It also encompasses two 3-credit graduate level classes, a required course on Power and Strategy in the Spring semester and a choice of courses in the Fall semester taught by nationally renowned movement leaders and academics. Participants will be paired with seasoned mentors, peer coaches and receive other forms of support. We are in the process of developing a graduate level certificate program, so that participants who wish will eventually be able to convert their participation in the program into an academic credential.

We welcome applicants from across US. Travel costs for in-person gatherings will be covered, and the academic courses will take place on Zoom. Tuition costs for the academic courses will be shared between the Leadership Center and the sponsoring organization on a sliding scale dependent on budget.

The deadline to apply for the Movement Leader Fellowship is November 18, 2022 at 11:59pm.

Click here to learn more and submit your application!