Our Community Leadership Institute (CLI) is a six-month fellowship program that resources, educates and places emerging leaders from communities of color and low-income communities to infuse a racial equity agenda on strategic municipal boards and commissions at the city and county level.
Watch the CLI video, featuring the 2017-2018 Cohort!
Why Boards & Commissions?
Most leadership programs prepare people for elected office, advocacy, and organizational leadership. However, moving a regional equity agenda also requires an ability for long-term participation in government functions, especially in governmental advisory bodies like boards, commissions, and even task forces.
We have seen time and time again that barriers to entry into positions of decision-making power greatly hinder our capacity to influence long-term planning and policy in the region. In particular, people of color are under-represented on the boards, commissions and advisory bodies that influence major decisions at the local and regional level.
Our Community Leadership Institute is rooted in a values-based curriculum, which is focused on racial and social justice. The fellowship educates emerging leaders in issues such as affordable housing, land use, transit, climate justice and economic development. Graduates learn the nuts and bolts of local government processes, such as municipal budgeting, parliamentary procedures, and lawmaking, as well as advocacy, storytelling and communication skills. Sage also helps defray the cost of fellows’ time and travel.
Applications are due August 3rd, 2018.
For more information, please RSVP to eric@pugetsoundsage.org to attend the informational session on July 30th from 6pm – 8pm @ Japanese Cultural Center; food will be provided and childcare upon request.
If you’re interested in applying, learn more about the CLI program on our website!