Becoming a Regional Fellow

Who Should Apply
The ELP Regional Fellowship for Emerging Leaders targets newly established environmental and social change practitioners eager to connect their specialized work to larger environmental and social concerns. ELP promotes diversity of race and ethnicity, gender identity, sector, professional background, values and traditions, and environmental issue expertise. In choosing each class of regional fellows, ELP seeks individuals from across these broad spectrums.

Eligibility
We welcome applications from emerging leaders in the Delaware Valley region who seek to advance their leadership abilities, hone their skills, and develop new networks.

Applicants are eligible to apply to be ELP Regional Fellows if they meet the following criteria:

• Experience level: Have approximately three to ten years of work experience or post-undergraduate academic studies related to environmental and social change issues, broadly defined;
• Geographic scope: You must live and work within the Delaware Valley region, specifically, within one of the following counties: PA - Berks, Bradford, Bucks, Carbon, Chester, Columbia, Delaware, Dauphin, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Luzerne, Monroe, Montgomery, Montour, Northampton, Northumberland, Philadelphia, Pike, Schuylkill, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Wayne, Wyoming, York; all counties in NJ and DE.
• Environmental focus/relevance: Your work or volunteer activities must have a clear environmental/social change focus or relevance. You should articulate a clear understanding of how your specialized work fits into complex social, economic, and environmental issues;

In addition, ELP looks for applicants that demonstrate:

• passion and capacity to exercise leadership and contribute to a public dialogue about responding to social and environmental challenges;
• enthusiasm to participate in retreats and actively contribute to the program as well as take advantage of its benefits;
• eagerness to connect with and learn from others as part of a diverse network that spans sectors, disciplines, backgrounds, and areas of expertise;
• the ability and desire to remain an active member of the ELP community after the conclusion of the one-year Regional Fellowship Program.

What are the benefits of the ELP Regional Fellowship Program?
As an ELP Regional Fellow, you can expect to gain:

• A supportive learning network of diverse colleagues engaged in environmental and social change work.
• Enhanced leadership skills such as communications, diversity, team building, collaboration, speaking, and coalition building.
• Time for reflection on personal leadership characteristics and personal/professional goals.
• Increased awareness of key social and environmental challenges and their potential solutions at both national and local levels.
• New friends and resources through a local network of 86 environmental leaders from different sectors and communities and connections to a national network of over 300 emerging leaders.
• Access to the ELP Online Network, offering individual profiles of each ELP Regional and National Fellow and a skills exchange tool.
• Opportunities for financial support for a collaborative project through the ELP Activity Fund.
• Public recognition of your acceptance into the program and your accomplishments.

How to Apply
Each ELP Regional Network selects a cohort of regional fellows every year. The application process for the 2009 Delaware Valley Regional Network Fellowship Class is now open. Please thoroughly review the information about the application process before applying.

Evaluation Criteria
Applicants will be evaluated on the basis of past accomplishments, promise for future leadership, and potential as interdisciplinary thinkers and effective collaborators.

Particular attention will be given to the applicant's accomplishments, background, and professional progress as shown in a resume or c.v.; the recommendation of a colleague who has worked closely with the applicant; and the clarity, breadth, and thoughtfulness of responses to the narrative questions in the application.

ELP also evaluates applicants' leadership potential; originality of ideas; ability to convey a persuasive, coherent vision for environmental progress; and ability to reach key constituencies and work across disciplines and issue areas. Successful applicants also will articulate clearly the utility of the Regional Fellowship to their personal and professional development.

Selection Process
Applications are reviewed by an ELP Selection Committee that is composed of environmental and social change professionals from diverse disciplines, backgrounds, and institutions. Members of the Selection Committee include ELP staff, Board of Trustees, and Senior Fellows. The Selection Committee will make its final decisions and notify applicants four to five weeks before the first retreat.

Required Commitments

Retreats: Applicants for ELP Regional Fellows must commit to participating in three training retreats in their entirety. The three 2009 retreats will be held in the Delaware Valley area on the following days:

• Thursday-Sunday: February 26 - March 1 (overnight)
• Friday-Sunrday: May 15 - 17 (overnight)
  
• Friday-Sunday: October 23 - 25 (overnight)

The retreats, while informal, are intensive and focused. It is the policy of the program that spouses, partners, family members, and friends do not accompany regional fellows to the retreat sites or participate in any of the activities. (Exceptions may be made for mothers with infants.)

In addition to retreat participation, ELP Regional Fellows also are asked to complete periodic assignments between retreats.

Employer Support
Regional Fellow are expected to continue in their work or academic studies during the one-year Regional Fellowship. In addition to the above requirements, we encourage regional fellows to gain the explicit support of their organization or institution for their participation in the ELP Regional Fellowship Program. The Regional Fellowship is a tremendous professional development opportunity valued at $8,000 per regional fellow. The organizations and institutions employing ELP regional fellow will reap much of this benefit in the form of increased capacity and productivity of their employees. Regional Fellows will gain new skills, many of which can be shared with others; expand their professional networks; and increase their effectiveness as environmental and social change leaders. Institutions employing regional fellows can support their employees by providing regional fellows flexibility during work hours to take advantage of ELP events and opportunities. Institutional support is not a requirement to participate in ELP programs, but it can facilitate an regional fellow's ability to take full advantage of the opportunities offered.

Review the application process.

For further information, contact us at:

Environmental Leadership Program
Delaware Valley Regional Network
215.292.3040
delwarevalley(at)elpnet.org

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