Environmental Leadership Program

OUR VISION OF ENVIRONMENTAL LEADERSHIP

Our plan of action is guided by strong convictions about the nature of leadership and the need for it within the environmental community. We believe that:

• Leadership begins with relationships and the personal skills needed to develop them. Our greatest impact will lie in the collective capacity of the network we are creating.
• Diversity is a crucial component of public leadership. Environmental leaders must themselves reflect the diversity of the country and have the skills to work across difference.
• Leadership relies on individuals daring to take calculated professional risks.

Guided by these principles, we are building a diverse community of emerging leaders and creating programs to support their development.

WHAT WE DO

We train a new generation of environmental leaders characterized by diversity, innovation, collaboration, and effective communications. We address the needs of emerging environmental leaders from academia, business, government and non-profits by:

• Providing training and learning opportunities to increase their leadership capacity through our Fellowship Program;
• Connecting Fellows with peers through our regional and national networks;
• Linking Fellows with experienced environmental leaders through substantive interactions and mentoring opportunities;
• Focusing attention on the need for the environmental community to develop the next generation of leaders.

THE ELP FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM

Each year we select 15-20 emerging leaders to participate in each of our regional fellowship programs. Fellows come from diverse personal and professional backgrounds as we strongly believe in broadening the voices within the "environmental movement." Our  Fellows have on average, three to ten years of professional experience and come primarily from four sectors: academia, business, government and non-profits.  Once selected, Fellows participate in 3 overnight retreats, a total of 11 days, which take place over the course of a year. Each retreat focuses on specific leadership competencies from diversity and communications to coalition building and strength based leadership. Fellows are expected to complete several assignments including the development of a personal leadership plan that will serve as their personal and professional roadmap.Fellows will be invited to participate in public and exclusive networking opportunities, work collaboratively to develop and speak at public issue forums, national conferences and other events.ELP strongly believes in the need for lifelong skill development and peer support. Upon completion of the fellowship program, Fellows graduate to Senior Fellows status within the ELP Community. ELP Senior Fellows are eligible to attend additional trainings, take active roles in the development of ELP public programming and continue to expand their professional network through online resources, networking events, collaborative partnerships and mentoring within the ELP Community.