• Policy Research Shop
• Walker Center Associate
• Civic Skills Training
• Walker Center Fellow

A Walker Center initiative designed to provide students with real life experience in public policy research.

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The Leadership Associates Program is intended to provide students with opportunities to meaningfully engage in public policy prior to their senior year in their Millersville University careers.

Associates will be offered training in public speaking, networking, writing press releases, op-eds, and policy briefs, networking, and project management through workshops and opportunities to meet Distinguished Visitors. Panels with Millersville Alumni are also arranged to provide students with exposure to career paths following Millersville, as well as how to get the most out of their time on campus.

Associates will be required to attend Civic Skills Training in Harrisburg, PA for an experiential learning opportunity designed to enhance the student’s knowledge of civic engagement and the practical application of newly learned skills. Here's how to participate:

• Enroll in a designated workshop or public policy course.
• Take a course in statistical methods (e.g., as offered by the departments of mathematics, economics, sociology, psychology, government, etc.) during the fall, winter or spring terms of your first year...
• Apply to be an Associate during the spring...
• Receive a special Civic Skills Training after spring term...
• Intern in Harrisburg or Washington, DC, during the summer in a legislative/congressional office, policy think tank, executive branch agency, or advocacy organization with a grant from CCERP with MU Alumni serving as mentors.

Civic Skills Training is designed to both inform students about the structures and processes of the political and non-profit worlds and impart the tangible skills they require to excel in their internships and beyond. By teaching students how to realize change in the public and non-profit sectors, the training helps to break down some of the barriers that keep students from pursuing careers in these areas.

Selected students gather locally, in Harrisburg, PA or Washington, DC for a five-day training session. The Civic and Community Engagement and Research Project will cover the cost of round-trip travel to and from Harrisburg or DC and arranges for student accommodations in the Washington metropolitan area. The training includes meetings and sessions around the city and provides an excellent opportunity for students to familiarize themselves with Washington. The location is especially helpful for those students whose internships are located in the DC area.

The curriculum for each of the five training days builds conceptually on those before it in order to provide a comprehensive, yet coherent, picture of the public and non-profit sectors. Students participate in workshops on topics such as:

• Public speaking
• Networking
• Resource mobilization
• Organizational power structures
• Media relations
• Goal setting

Students also have the opportunity to meet with a wide variety of people who work in the media, think tanks, lobbying, and the legislative, judicial and executive branches of government. These panels of Millersville University alumni and other civic professionals provide the students with valuable contacts, insights, and perspectives on life in the civic sector. Their experiences should provide them with an intellectual framework for analyzing the political and non-profit worlds and practical skills for their upcoming internships.

This program is designed to prepare Millersville students for leadership roles in their communities and in their careers. For selected seniors, the program helps students make connections between their own unique experiences and the complexities of leadership issues in today's global society. Through a multifaceted curriculum, the program offers Fellows the opportunity to:

• Explore and analyze different conceptual frameworks of leadership
• Apply these concepts to experiential learning opportunities
• Discuss leadership issues with distinguished guests, scholars, alumni, and administrators
• Participate in leadership skills workshops
• Enhance personal learning through peer interaction

Fellows, selected annually each spring term for the following year, engage in many thought-provoking discussions--enjoyed, of course, over meals--on topics such as gender and leadership, political engagement, social responsibility, values-based leadership, pluralism and personal philosophies. Additionally, they participate in workshops on topics such as facilitation, public speaking and risk-taking.

Special opportunities and initiatives include assisting in the planning of conferences, special events and other leadership programming, mentoring younger students, and meeting effective leaders from all walks of life.

Application for Walker Center Leadership Fellow