100 Emerging Leaders Trained to Address Inequities Exposed and Worsened by COVID-19
In response to the inequities exposed and worsened by COVID-19, Public Allies has launched a national initiative that connects one hundred emerging leaders from across the country. For the next ten months, emerging leaders from across the country will be trained, connected, and deployed in their communities—especially those hardest hit by the pandemic.
For twenty-seven years, Public Allies has been a pioneer in developing and deploying high-impact leaders (aka Allies) from marginalized communities, creating a “human capital” pipeline of 8,000 diverse and equity-centered leaders nationwide. The National Cohort will combine local service with cross-site community building and shared learning towards even deeper systemic change. This new National Cohort is supported by a significant grant from Citi Foundation.
Participating Allies will serve, and be coached and supported, in several major cities, but will also have the opportunity to connect, learn, and lead together across place as part of one united national cohort. This new model leverages technology and Public Allies’ national network infrastructure to deliver high-quality programs across the country.
As an original AmeriCorps program, Public Allies’ apprenticeships have helped thousands of young adults, the majority of which are people of color, to discover, develop, and leverage their leadership potential, and learn how to apply creative problem-solving skills to systemic challenges. They receive practical, on-the-job training through a paid, full-time job placement at a local nonprofit organization, school, or government agency, as well as over 200 hours of professional development, job-readiness, professional coaching, and leadership training. The national cohort is based in the following cities: Miami, the Bay Area, Cincinnati, Detroit, New York, and New Orleans.
“We are excited to see the launch of this national cohort with Public Ally members continuing to serve Miami. Over 13 years, we’ve witnessed the impact of Public Allies, and believe this brand of leadership to be critical to the future of the South Florida region,” said Gretchen Beesing, Chief Executive Officer of Catalyst Miami.
“We are excited to see the launch of this national cohort with Public Ally members continuing to serve across Metro Detroit. Over 7 years, we’ve witnessed the impact of Public Allies, and believe this brand of leadership to be critical to the future of the Southeast Michigan region,” said Tracy Hall, Executive Director/Office of Metropolitan Impact, University of Michigan-Dearborn.
“In 2013, I was first introduced to Public Allies in the SF Bay Area and have personally interfaced with hundreds of Allies. The Bay Area has increasing demographic shifts and widening socioeconomic disparities, and organizations are under pressure to address historical and continuing inequity and structural racism,” said Nancy Kahn, CEO, Across Differences Institute and Consultancy. “The direction this site has taken through the current site director’s experience, leadership and steadfast vision to grow and respond to the rapidly changing needs of our times, coupled with joining the National Cohort, creates the most robust conditions to prepare a whole new caliber of Ally leadership. Developing the skill-set and gaining critical knowledge to lead from a societal imperative of equity, inclusion and antiracist practices require specialized, focused training and deep self-reflective work: Public Allies is doing the heavy-lifting!”
About Public Allies
For twenty-seven years, Public Allies has been a pioneer in identifying, developing, and deploying high-impact leaders (aka Allies) from marginalized communities. Our flagship program, a ten-month AmeriCorps apprenticeship, has helped thousands of young adults discover, develop, and leverage their potential, and learn how to apply creative problem-solving skills to systemic challenges. Individually and collectively, they’ve shaped culture, changed policies, and transformed communities across the country. We work in twenty-four cities and have eight thousand alumni. Eighty percent of our Allies are people of color, sixty percent are women and seventy percent work in the communities from which they come. Combating social injustice is core to who we are.