Fellowship for Emerging Leaders in Public Service

About the Fellowship for Emerging Leaders in Public Service

The Fellowship for Emerging Leaders in Public Service (FELPS) inspires, engages, and connects emerging public service leaders with a unique career planning and professional development opportunity. The Fellowship recognizes the strong commitment to public service that Fellows have demonstrated and strengthens this commitment by providing professional development and networking opportunities aimed at assisting Fellows in developing plans for successful public service careers.

FELPS is one of the first programs that actively guides and engages emerging leaders in a process that encourages self-directed career development. This process encourages Fellows to explore the facets of public service most appealing to them while simultaneously presenting them with the exciting and challenging options that a modern-day public service career offers. Through this Fellowship, the Research Center for Leadership in Action at NYU Wagner is extending its commitment to educating the next generation of public service leaders.

FELPS anchors the next generation of public service leaders by:

Inspiring Fellows to reconnect with their initial excitement and commitment to public service in their daily work and use that motivation as they advance their careers.

Engaging Fellows in a series of dynamic conversations and explorations that strengthen this commitment while challenging them to ask, "What's next?"

Connecting Fellows with leaders in public service, to make them aware of career paths they can take and to provide networking opportunities.

Providing Fellows with opportunities to reflect upon the experience as they shape their career development in an action-orientated manner.

The 2012 fellowship begins in November 2011 and ends in May 2012. Fellows come together for a series of twice-a-month workshops held on evenings and weekends, with an opportunity to:

Discuss public service issues and career challenges with experts in the public service field;

Gain a clear assessment of their own assets, knowledge base and skill set;

Build a network of peers and mentors who can offer insight and guidance on career development; and

Develop a career plan based on personal assessments and professional goals.

FELPS Fellows

Career Guides, who are senior managers and directors in a variety of public service organizations, provide mentorship to Fellows throughout the course of the program.

Fellows develop connections they can carry forward with them over the course of their careers.

Fellows celebrate together at the final reception.

The Fellowship for Emerging Leaders in Public Service supports recent college graduates as they enhance their leadership skills and practices; deepen their understanding of the public service landscape; craft a career plan; and build a network of talented, dynamic peers.

Fellows participate in the program with the support of their supervisors, applying what they are learning in the fellowship to the work of their public service organizations.

Over the course of the program, Fellows deepen their awareness of their leadership skills and strengths and how to apply them in their current roles and over the course of their careers.

One of the best parts of the fellowship is the network of support Fellows build among people committed to public service.

FELPS Career Guides offer ongoing guidance and insight for Fellows through small group discussions and one-on-one over the course of the seven-month program.

Fellowship for Emerging Leaders in Public Service Class of 2008

Fellowship for Emerging Leaders in Public Service Class of 2010

Fellowship for Emerging Leaders in Public Service Class of 2009

When Fellows complete the program, they join an active alumni network and participate in a variety of alumni-led social and volunteer activities.

Fellows and alumni participate in a variety of volunteer activities, including an annual FELPS Day of Service.

Fellows are selected for their demonstrated commitment to public service, a passion they carry through the fellowship and beyond.

Fellows and alumni work for the full spectrum of public service organizations - government agencies, nonprofits, corporate social responsibility programs, and foundations. They share a commitment to leadership in their communities.

The FELPS alumni network offers a variety of public service resources, including a quarterly newsletter, bi-weekly updates with public service opportunities and news, and events to connect with other alums and engage in service.

As part of the program, Fellows participate in a variety of volunteer and public service activities, including the FELPS Day of Service, held with Hands On New York Day.

Fellows and alumni work in boroughs across New York City in a wide spectrum of public service fields, including education, health, environmentalism, economic development, and more.

Fellows and alumni participate in an annual FELPS Day of Service, holiday party, book club, policy discussion group, and more.

Senior executives in public service, including New York City Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott, speak to the Fellows about their career paths and insights into current public service issues.

FELPS offers a chance for emerging leaders to reflect on their practice and to learn from other dynamic individuals.

Team-building is an essential part of the Fellowship for Emerging Leaders in Public Service.

FELPS prepares a diverse group of recent college graduates to take up leadership in their roles and build successful long-term public service careers.

Each year a select group of 30 Fellows is selected to participate in the program, which kicks off with a day-long Orientation in November and runs through May.

Fellowship Career Guides and alumni participate in community service projects.

FELPS friends gather for the annual FELPS Day of Service.

The FELPS Day of Service in 2010 brought together friends, family and the FELPS community to honor former Fellow Connor Donohue (Class of 2009).

FELPS offers a chance for committed public service professionals early in their careers to build a network of other dynamic leaders.

FELPS partnered with the Central Park Conservancy for a Day of Service to help with preservation efforts in the New York City landmark.

As a program of NYU Wagner and RCLA, FELPS develops the next generation of leaders in public service. NYU Wagner Associate Dean of Student Affairs and Administration Tyra Liebmann speaks at the final reception.

What Fellows Are Saying about the Program

Participating in the fellowship not only gave me the chance to explore opportunities in public service, but also allowed me to meet like-minded young professionals who helped to reaffirm my commitment to serving others. In FELPS, the question everyone asks is not, 'Should I serve?' but rather 'How can I serve most effectively?'

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