FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jefferson now accepting applications for 2023 Civic Leadership Academy
Erie, Pa. (March 17, 2023) – The Jefferson Educational Society, Erie’s nonpartisan think tank for community progress, is accepting applications for the 2023 Jefferson Civic Leadership Academy (JCLA) through May 15. The cohort of 2023 is the ninth with 194 total graduates to date.
The JCLA cohort will participate in a retreat to Harrisburg to meet with elected officials, including Gov. Josh Shapiro, and leadership from the House, Senate, and judiciary, along with policy experts. A rigorous seven-month program will ensue that includes site visits to local government offices and institutions, and programs designed to better understand local history and the form and function of our local government.
As part of the JCLA, participants develop their leadership skills by engaging in research to address critical issues facing their community. Every year, the cohort applies the lessons learned from the program to a group action project and presents the results upon graduation.
Through the JCLA, employers benefit by having employees enhance their leadership skills while developing their abilities to work in teams while gaining access to a broad network of prominent contacts.
“We’re very excited about the incoming cohort and hope we can attract many participants willing to make our community a better place,” noted Jefferson President Dr. Ferki Ferati. “The JCLA is one of our most important programs because it helps prepare people for leadership roles in the future.”
JCLA participants and alumni interested in focusing on leadership theory can also enroll in the Raimy Fellowship Program under the guidance of Jefferson Scholar-in-Residence Dr. Andrew Roth. Designated Raimy Fellows will participate in a retreat to Washington, D.C. where they meet with representatives in the Capitol and with several policy institutes and research foundations.
The JCLA program, which begins June 1, is under the direction of Jefferson Director of Programming Angela Beaumont and JCLA Program Coordinator Adam Welsh. Welsh helped oversee the program in 2022 and is a graduate of the class of 2021.
Applications can be submitted online at www.JESErie.org/civic-leadership-academy.
For more information about the JCLA, please contact:
Adam Welsh
JCLA Program Coordinator, Jefferson Educational Society
814.459.8000
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The Jefferson Educational Society of Erie is a nonprofit institution founded to promote civic enlightenment and community progress for the Erie region through study, research, and discussion. The Society offers courses, seminars, and lectures that explain the central ideas that have formed the past, assist in exploring the present, and offer guidance to enhance the civic future of the Erie region. As an Erie think tank, the Jefferson Educational Society promotes knowledge and civic pride through institutional and familial research, the publication of policy papers on public issues and the sponsorship of civic forums.
