Congratulations to our newest Emerging Leaders graduates – and welcome to the FOCUS alumni network! Our Fall 2019 cohort recently wrapped up the three-month program, aimed at providing early-career professionals with the tools to be active leaders in their careers and the community.
Over the course of the program, the class participated in large and small-group discussions, interviews with regional leaders, hands-on activities and personal reflection exercises – all designed to prepare them for the next step in their leadership journeys.
The class also had the opportunity to put the leadership skills they were learning into practice through their Civic Action Projects. These team projects allowed participants to work directly with community organizations and leaders to address challenges facing our region.
Thank you to our community partners for supporting their growth and learning!
- Girls on the Run St. Louis: Improving program access by identifying and mitigating systemic financial barriers.
- Places for People: Raising awareness and understanding for Mental Health First Aid in the wider community.
- Rise Community Development: Developing a community engagement toolkit, with increased focus on hard-to-reach populations.
- St. Louis County Library: Providing incarcerated and recently released individuals with tools to improve literacy skills.
- Women’s Foundation of Greater St. Louis: Increasing diversity of the organization’s volunteers and supporters.
Here’s what a few of this cohort’s participants had to say about the experience:
“I don’t think there’s a better opportunity in St. Louis to build significant relationships across industry, class and political lines. The connections and relationships I’ve made here are as strong as they are diverse.”
“Emerging Leaders has been one of the greatest professional experiences I’ve had. The honest, open and courageous conversations have been beyond valuable.”
“Emerging Leaders linked me to incredible people that I may have never met without FOCUS. It empowered me to be the best version of myself.”
Recruiting is underway for our spring cohort, and applications are due online by Dec. 6, 2019