In September 2018, early-career fellows participated in an Emerging Leaders for the Emerging Future retreat facilitated by the Environmental Leadership Program. ELP is a visionary nonprofit that offers leadership workshops to increase the capacity for a sustainable future. Like CDLS, ELP recognizes that diversity is a crucial component of environmental leadership and that there is a need for leaders to reflect the diversity of the country. They provide training and learning opportunities to increase attendees’ leadership ability.
Fourteen summer early-career fellows attended the three-day workshop. The training was facilitated through the lens of diversity, equity, and inclusion with some of the activities centered around power, privilege, and oppression. They learned how to influence change on a societal level and organizational level. Fellows examined building trust based on vulnerability and deep connection. And, they discussed dominant, hidden resistance and future narratives in the environmental movement.
Fellows can look forward to another ELP training in 2019. For more information, please visit https://elpnet.org.
I just came back from the Environmental Leadership Retreat and it was amazing! I really want to thank you for giving me the opportunity to participate. It has definitely calmed me, gave me direction and clarity, and reminded me exactly why I am in graduate school.
~ CDLS Fellow