Training and Leadership Development »

Leland program staff are committed to providing opportunities for professional development throughout the fellowship. The main source of professional growth is the work plan each fellow completes at his/her placement. In addition, the Leland Program includes the following.

“The fellowship helped me better understand how individuals and families directly experience hunger and poverty. By working alongside communities in a developing country to find solutions, I was also able to better understand resiliency and coping mechanisms. I felt fortunate to advocate with and on behalf of those communities, influencing various national and international policies which impact hunger.”

– Amanda Rives Argenal: 2007 Leland Fellow, 3^rd Class

Formal Trainings

The program begins with an intensive orientation in Washington, D.C. where the fellows are trained on the issues and skills that will inform their field work. Halfway through the fellowship, the fellows return to Washington, D.C. to reconnect with each other and receive a second training that prepares them for their year of policy-centered work.

Professional Development Funds (PDF)

Each year of the fellowship, fellows are allocated funds to be used to deepen their knowledge and skills. Conferences, workshops, classes and trainings are some of the most common uses of PDF.

Professional Development Days

During the policy year, fellows design and organize a series of professional development days on topics of their choice.

Leland Program Staff

Each Fellow has a staff advisor who serves as a resource on issues ranging from job knowledge to workplace relations.

Program Evaluation

CHC partnered with Innovation Network to conduct a ten year Program Evaluation of the Mickey Leland Fellowship Program.  The Evaluation covers the ten year history of the Fellowship Program, from its initiation with the first class in 2001 through the completion of the fifth class in 2011.  The findings were released in an evaluation brief in June 2012.

Many Leland Fellows work to support small scale farmers like this woman in Bangladesh, shown here with her tomato yield

Become a Fellow

Join the movement to ensure access to nutritious, affordable and culturally appropriate food for all people. Learn More

Partner with CHC

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