Application

The Commonwealth Seminar is accepting applications for the Fall 2009 seminar. The deadline to apply is Friday, October 2nd at 5:00 p.m.

This is the first time that the seminar will be organized as a mostly night session in order to make it more accessible to people who cannot get training time during the day. Four of the six sessions will be held in the evening, but two sessions will be during morning hours at the State House because we feel it is important to gain exposure to the building and the Administration officials, Legislators, and staff who work there.

The Fall 2009 seminar will take place on six consecutive weeks, at the State House beginning October 14th and ending November 20th. Evening sessions (October 14, October 28, November 4, and November 11) will be from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC), located at 60 Temple Place, 3rd Floor. The two daytime seminars will be on October 23rd and November 20th, and the graduation ceremony will be held on November 20th. You should be able to participate in at least five of the six days to make it worthwhile to apply. In addition, on your own time, you will be expected to meet with your legislators or their staff members.

In addition, we have decided to give a minor theme to this seminar session on advocating for "place," and will give special attention to advocacy efforts focused on building a community for residents.

The Commonwealth Seminar is an intensive training program focused on teaching diverse leaders how the Massachusetts Legislature really works.

Top state legislators, legislative staff, media members, and administration policymakers will introduce student leaders to the Legislature and state government generally. By giving an insiders' view of the process, our goal is to encourage diverse leaders to become effective advocates and to pursue careers in public service.

Who Should Apply?

The Commonwealth Seminar is a privately funded program with a mission of opening the doors of the State House. Our target audience for the Commonwealth Seminar™ is leaders from communities of color, immigrant communities, and others working to directly benefit those communities. You should be prepared to make a compelling argument in the application about how you fit into the target audience.

We are looking for leaders who meet those criteria and who have a proven track record of leadership in their communities.

We place a high value on creating a seminar class that is diverse racially, ethnically, and geographically.

Successful candidates for the Commonwealth Seminar will have a basic understanding of state government and a clear desire to use the skills learned through the seminar to make positive change.

Acceptance to the seminar is on a competitive basis, and Commonwealth Seminar staff and advisors will make all final decisions about the makeup of the seminar. We hope to make those decisions within one week after the deadline to apply.

Logistical Details

Unfortunately, there is no parking provided by the Commonwealth Seminar™. However, there are commercial lots near the State House and MAPC, and both locations is easily accessible through public transportation.

If you have special needs, either because you need language translation to participate or because of a physical disability, please let Commonwealth Seminar staff as soon as possible. We will do everything possible to accommodate special needs.

Application (Word)

Application (PDF)

Contact Jennifer Chin at jenn@masscs.org or 508-740-1078 if you have any questions.