To read more about our 2021 Emerging Leaders Development Program (ELDP) cohort please click here.

WHAT IS THE ELDP AND WHY WAS IT CREATED?

The ELDP is modeled on the Postsecondary National Policy Institute (PNPI)’s established Leadership Development Program (LDP) and is a virtual professional development opportunity for emerging leaders in the federal education policy space. Premised on the belief that leadership can be developed, strong leaders impact organizational health, and strong sectors are led by strong organizations, the ELDP was created to increase the strength of organizations in the federal education policy space by building the capacity of their emerging leaders.

WHO WAS THE ELDP CREATED FOR?

The ELDP was created for emerging leaders in organizations or offices focused on federal education policy. Participants must have a minimum of three years of experience in the federal education sector and be able to demonstrate that they currently 1) lead or co-lead a project or body of work at their current organization and 2) manage a team of staff and/or interns. While preference will be given to individuals in the non-profit and/or government sectors, individuals from other sectors will be considered if their organization has a public-facing mission.

WHAT CAN PARTICIPANTS EXPECT TO GET OUT OF THE ELDP?

• An opportunity to grow and develop their leadership abilities;
• Tools, knowledge, and resources to help them strengthen their teams and organizations;
• Entrée into a community of practice with other emerging and established leaders in the education policy space; and
• Peer coaching.

 WHAT DOES THE PROGRAM CONSIST OF?

The ELDP consists of an orientation in May, followed by four two-day sessions in June, July, September, and October, and a practicum day in November. There are no meetings in August. Sessions include workshops, discussion groups, and peer coaching. Workshops will focus on developing and impacting effective teams, facilitating engaging meetings and events, confidently communicating about equity, and developing executive presence. All sessions will be conducted virtually via Zoom.

HOW DO I APPLY TO THE PROGRAM?

Applications for this program are now closed. 

HOW DO I KNOW IF I QUALIFY AS AN EMERGING LEADER FOR THE PURPOSES OF THE ELDP?

An emerging leader is an individual who has at least three years of experience in the federal education policy sector and who has experience with 1) leading or co-leading a project or body of work and 2) managing a team of staff and/or interns.

HOW MUCH DOES THE PROGRAM COST?

Because the emerging leaders program is a pilot, the fee for participants from the non-profit or government sectors is $500. The fee for all other participants is $750. Registration fees must be paid within two weeks of acceptance to reserve a spot in the ELDP.

WILL SCHOLARSHIPS BE OFFERED TO ATTEND? 

Scholarships covering the cost of registration are available to individuals in the government sector who do not have access to professional development funds, and individuals in the non-profit sector who do not have access to professional development funds and whose organization has an operating budget of less than $1.5 million. To be considered for a scholarship, applicants must submit an additional essay that addresses why the registration fee is a financial hardship to them and their organization. Preference will be given to applicants whose work portfolio is focused on postsecondary education.

WHAT IS THE ATTENDANCE POLICY?

Individuals must attend a minimum of seven of the eight working sessions between July and October, and fulfill other course requirements to qualify as a course completer and earn a digital badge.

WHEN IS THE PROGRAM BEING HELD? 

The program will meet from May through November. Thursday sessions from June to October will meet from 9:00AM to 3:30PM, and Friday sessions from June to October will meet from 9:00AM to 2:30PM. There are no meetings in August. 

Class dates are:

• Friday, May 21st/Program Orientation
• Thursday, June 17th /Developing & Impacting Effective Teams
• Friday, June 18th/Peer Coaching, Mini Lesson & Small Group Discussions
• Thursday, July 15th/Facilitating Engaging Meetings & Events
• Friday, July 16th/Peer Coaching, Mini Lesson & Small Group Discussions
• Thursday, September 16th/ Confidently Communicating about Equity
• Friday, September 17th/Peer Coaching, Mini Lesson & Small Group Discussions
• Thursday, October 21st/Developing Your Executive Presence  
• Friday, October 22nd/Peer Coaching, Mini Lesson & Small Group Discussions
• Friday, November 5th/Practicum & Graduation

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE PROGRAM ENDS?

Participants who complete the required course components (attendance, practicum, course evaluation, course assessment interview) will have continued access to program resources, future programming at low or no cost, and PNPI’s leaders’ network at the close of the course. Completers will also be issued a digital badge (more below).

IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY TO EARN CREDIT OR A CREDENTIAL?

Upon completion of all required course components, participants are eligible to receive a digital badge. A digital badge is a web-enabled version of a participant’s credential that can be shared with future or current employers online (e.g., on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, or resumes). There is no fee for the badge and acceptance of it lies with the course completer once it is issued by PNPI.

CAN YOU TELL ME MORE ABOUT THE WORKSHOPS?

A list of the workshops and presenters are below. Additional information on individual workshops can be found here and bios on the facilitators are accessible here.

June 17^th                    Developing & Impacting Effective Teams with Rae Ringel

July 16^th                     Facilitating Engaging Meetings & Events with Amy Climer

September 16^th         Confidently Communicating about Equity with Reina DuFore & Veronica Selzler

October 21^st               Developing Your Executive Presence with Christine Clapp

CAN YOU TELL ME MORE ABOUT THE SMALL GROUP SESSIONS?

Friday small group sessions will mix several different modalities: mini lessons, discussion groups, skill-building practice, and peer coaching. Topics will include (but are not limited to): how to make effective requests, creative problem-solving tools, and learning to have fierce conversations.

WHAT IF I HAVE MORE QUESTIONS?

 If you have additional questions, please email us at pnpi@pnpi.org.

WHAT HAVE FORMER PARTICIPANTS SAID ABOUT PNPI’S LEADERSHIP PROGRAMMING?

“The PNPI Leadership Development Program is an invaluable tool for any higher education leader that wants to improve the management of their organization. In just a few weeks, I learned new skills around creativity, teamwork, decision-making, and executive presence that will last a lifetime. It’s a can’t-miss opportunity for anyone looking to succeed and advance in their current career.” –James Bergeron, President, National Council of Higher Education Resources.

“LDP was a fantastic experience and worth every minute of my (scarce) time. I was very lucky to have the opportunity to participate.”– Kevin James, Founder & CEO, Better Future Forward.

“PNPI’s leadership program provided a cohort-based training that is unique. One thing I especially valued is how PNPI created a highly-relational environment that fostered trusting and meaningful connections in our group. This allowed us to share real-time cases from our everyday work and generate applicable strategies to improve our own practice in between our monthly sessions. PNPI is an incredible professional development opportunity with phenomenal colleagues in the higher ed policy space.”- Laura Keane, Chief Policy Officer, uAspire

“Participating in LDP was a great personal and professional experience for me.  Having a cohort of professionals who work in higher education policy to bounce ideas off of and share experiences with has been a great asset.  The sessions and the assignments gave me the opportunity to take time to reflect on my own career and my professional goals which allowed me to move forward in a more intentional manner.”  -Amanda Fuchs Miller, President, Seventh Street Strategies

“PNPI’s Leadership Development Program was a transformative experience for me. The program helped hone some of my leadership skills while venturing into totally new territory with others. The focus on developing effective teams was particularly helpful as my team worked through a reset period, and it aligned well with an already planned retreat that occurred simultaneously. As a result, we have come away with more effective and meaningful team meetings. Moreover, the focus on deliberate creativity provided useful tips and processes for ensuring creativity is a central part of our policy work, and not just when it is obvious to include it. Plus, I now have a network of other higher education leaders in my cohort who I call friends and can call upon for peer mentoring, support, and advice.” -Amy Smith, Policy Advisor, Arnold & Porter.

To read about the 2018 cohort please click here. 

To read about the 2019 cohort please click here.

WHAT IF I HAVE MORE QUESTIONS?

If you have additional questions please email us at pnpi@pnpi.org. The program overview can be downloaded here.