|
Fellowship News
ELP's National Fellowship Program will not select new fellows in 2006 for the 2007 class. Click here for an update.
BECOMING A FELLOW
Who Should Apply?
The ELP Fellowship targets newly established environmental and social change practitioners eager to connect their specialized work to larger environmental and social concerns. ELP is committed to selecting a class of fellows that represents diversity of race and ethnicity, gender, sector, sexual orientation, education levels, professional background, values and traditions, and environmental issue expertise.
Applicants must:
- Have approximately three to ten years of work experience or post-undergraduate academic studies related to environmental issues, broadly defined (there is no educational requirement);
- Have demonstrated talent as a leader;
- Articulate a clear understanding of how their specialized work fits into complex social, economic, and environmental issues;
- Be residents of the United States or U.S. territories or Freely Associated States.
In addition, ELP looks for applicants that demonstrate:
- passion and capacity to exercise leadership and respond to social and environmental challenges;
- enthusiasm to participate in four fellowship 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 fellowship network that spans sectors, disciplines, backgrounds, and areas of expertise;
- commitment to the values of diversity and justice within the environmental field;
- the ability and desire to remain an active member of the ELP Senior Fellows Network after the conclusion of the two-year Fellowship.
What are the benefits of the ELP Fellowship?
As an ELP Fellow, you can expect to gain:
- A supportive learning network of diverse colleagues in environmental and social change work.
- Enhanced leadership skills such as communications, diversity awareness, coalition building, collaboration, facilitation, public speaking, and conflict resolution.
- 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 national network of over 200 emerging environmental leaders from different sectors and communities.
- Access to the ELP Online Network, offering individual profiles of each ELP Fellow and a skills exchange tool.
- Financial support for an independent or collaborative project through the ELP Activity Fund.
- Public recognition of your acceptance into the program and your accomplishments.
How to Apply
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, commitment to engaging in diversity work and collaboration, and potential as effective communicators.
Particular attention will be given to the applicant's accomplishments, background, and professional progress as shown in a resume or c.v.; the recommendations of colleagues who have worked closely with the applicant; and the clarity, breadth, and thoughtfulness of responses to the narrative questions in the fellowship application.
ELP also evaluates applicants' leadership potential; originality of ideas; ability to convey a coherent vision for environmental progress; and ability to reach diverse constituencies and work across backgrounds, disciplines and issue areas. Successful applicants also will articulate clearly the utility of the fellowship to their personal and professional development.
Selection Process
Applications are reviewed by the ELP Fellowship Selection Committee that is composed of environmental practitioners from diverse disciplines, backgrounds, and institutions. Members of the Selection Committee include ELP staff, Board of Trustees, and Senior Fellows. Applications are ranked in two phases of review to create a pool of approximately 60 finalists from which the 20-25 fellows are selected. The Selection Committee meets in early December to make its final decisions, and all applicants are notified by mid-December.
To ensure an objective evaluation with no actual or perceived conflicts of interest in the review process, no Selection Committee member is assigned to review a Fellowship candidate in any of the following categories:
the applicant is a current or former employee or employer, a relative, or an employee of an organization for which the Committee member serves on the board;
the applicant is a current or former employee or employer, a relative, or an employee of an organization for which the Committee member serves on the board;
the applicant is a collaborator on professional work or a professional colleague; or
the applicant has any other significant ties to the reviewer - personal, professional, or financial.
Repeat applicants from previous years are not evaluated by the same reviewers.
top
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is the time commitment required for the fellowship?
Although fellows continue in their full-time employment or studies during their two-year fellowship, they are required to participate in various fellowship activities throughout the year. During both years of the fellowship, fellows must attend two five-day retreats, one in the spring and one in summer. The retreats are held over a weekend. Fellows must participate in all four retreats in their entirety.
In addition to the retreats, fellows have assignments and activities throughout the year that average about 10-15 hours per month. Time required for these activities varies. Fellowship activities will include developing and refining a Personal Leadership Plan, developing and carrying out an Activity Fund project, providing feedback to staff and other fellows, and participating in other optional collaborative projects or trainings.
What is ELP's policy on international participation?
At this time, ELP limits participation to those living in the United States and U.S. territories or Freely Associated States. We encourage those working abroad to pursue opportunities provided by other international organizations, such as Lead International (www.lead.org) or Ashoka (www.ashoka.org).
May I contact current ELP fellows?
To respect our fellows' privacy and time constraints, we cannot give out contact information for fellows or put you directly in touch with them. However, ELP staff are more than happy to answer any questions that you may have beyond the information we provide on our web site. Questions about the fellowship should be sent to info@elpnet.org, or if you wish to speak with someone directly, please call us at 202.332.3320.
Read what fellows are saying about the ELP Fellowship.
As an undergraduate college student, am I eligible for the ELP Fellowship?
Because the ELP Fellowship serves individuals with three to ten years of work experience, most undergraduate college students are not eligible due to their limited experience in the work world. Of course, if you are a student that is part-time or returning to school and you have significant work experience, you may be an exception.
Is a certain level of education required to be eligible for the Fellowship?
No. ELP fellows include people with no more than high school diplomas as well as people with PhDs.
Does the ELP Activity Fund only support new projects or can I request support for ongoing work?
Projects supported by the ELP Activity Fund should build on your current work and expertise, but take it in a new direction. The Activity Fund does not provide support for an already existing project but can be used to leverage an existing project into a new realm. For example, funding could be provided to expand the outreach of an existing program so that it reaches a broader constituency.
Am I eligible if my primary job is not environmental but I am involved in environmental activities as a volunteer or consultant?
Yes. Applicants who are substantially involved in environmental work outside their professional work or studies are eligible for the ELP Fellowship.
If I have applied to the Fellowship in a previous year, do I need to resubmit a complete application if I want to apply again this year?
Yes. Previous applicants are welcome to apply again, but you must submit an updated application for the current year. This includes all application materials: CV/resume, narrative response questions, writing or work sample, and letters of recommendation. Read more about the application process.
How is ELP funded?
ELP is supported by private foundations and individual donors. To see a list of our current foundation supporters, click here. To make a contribution to support ELP, click here.
If you have further questions, please contact us at 202.332.3320 or via email at
info@elpnet.org.
|
