ELIGIBILITY

All applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Work or reside in MD, VA or Washington, D.C.​
• Have at least three years of work experience or are enrolled in graduate-level academic studies related to environmental or social change issues, broadly defined
• The ability to participate in all 3 retreats, complete all assignments in a timely manner, and the desire to remain an active member of the ELP Senior Fellows Network after the conclusion of the year-long Fellowship

EVALUATION CRITERIA

In addition to the above, applicants will be evaluated on the basis of their:

• Passion to respond to social and environmental challenges
• Leadership capacity (i.e have been willing and able to take “responsibility for helping people achieve shared purpose”)
• The nature of their work or area of expertise. Attention will be given to the applicant's accomplishments, background, and professional progress as shown in their resume and the clarity, breadth, and thoughtfulness of responses to the narrative questions in the application and in the interview.
• Eagerness to connect with and learn from others; willingness to actively contribute to the program as well as take advantage of its benefits
• Commitment to the values of diversity, equity, and justice within the environmental and social change fields; commitment to working with diverse constituencies
• Awareness of the interdependence of environmental and social problems; ability to convey a coherent vision for environmental progress and interest in how their work fits in with the big picture
• Ability to clearly articulate how participating in this leadership program will further their personal and professional development.

Particular attention will be given to the applicant's accomplishments, background, and professional progress as shown in their resume and the clarity, breadth, and thoughtfulness of responses to the narrative questions in the application.

2019 RETREAT DATES AND TIMES

Retreat 1:   June 6-9, 2019 in Knoxville, MD
Retreat 2:   September 12-15, 2019 in Knoxville, MD
Retreat 3:   December 12-15, 2019 in Knoxville, MD

All 3 retreats will take place at the beautiful Blue Mountain retreat center. In addition to comfortable rooms in a beautiful, rural setting, this location provides easy access to hiking, inner-tubing, campfires, and excursions to Harper's Ferry and local breweries.

Unless otherwise indicated, please arrive by 11:30 am on the first day of the retreat. We will begin with lunch and have our opening right after lunch. Unless otherwise indicated, the retreat will close at 2 pm on the last day of the retreat. It is important for the cohort, the individual Fellows, and the facilitators for all participants to be present for all sessions. 

COST

The 2019 Chesapeake Regional Fellowship participation fee is $1,800*. A few needs based scholarships will be available and can be applied for in your application. Fellows may choose to pay their tuition in full at the time of being selected or through a payment schedule. This includes:

• Room and board for the 3 overnight retreats (including excellent food and delicious snacks)
• Participation in 12 days of training, community building, and peer coaching
• Training materials (digital and hard copy)
• A 360 degree leadership assessment
• Membership in ELP's network of nearly 1000 Senior Fellows  - a lifelong learning community of professional and personal development, collaboration, and impact
• Transportation to and from retreats is not included in the tuition and is the responsibility of each Fellow.

*We are able to offer a subsidized rate from the $3,500 full program cost thanks to the support of our foundation partners and local donors.

INTERVIEW AND SELECTION PROCESS OVERVIEW

Applications are reviewed by a selection team of ELP Senior Fellows (alumni of ELP fellowships) and staff.

Interviews: a subset of applicants are interviewed in the 10 days following the application deadline. Interviews are conducted over the phone and are approximately 25 minutes long. Interviews are also an opportunity for applicants to ask any questions about the program and the Senior Fellow community.
Selection process: Our selection teams review the applicant's accomplishments, background, and professional progress as shown in their resume. We also focus on the clarity, breadth, and thoughtfulness of responses to the narrative question in the application and the phone interview. We aim to select the best cohort for each program - which means giving attention to the diversity and balance of the class - in terms of work (sector, issue), identities (gender, ethnicity, etc.) and personalities.

Notification: Following the selection of the class (usually 2 weeks following the application deadline), applicants are notified of their status via a phone call and/or email. An applicant is either invited into the program (in which case they are expected to confirm within 48 hours), wait-listed, or invited to apply for another program