Application

The Commonwealth Seminar is accepting applications for the Young Leaders Summer 2010 seminar. The deadline to apply is Tuesday, June 1st at 5:00 p.m.

The Spring 2010 seminar will take place over six consecutive weeks, at the State House beginning June 17th and ending on July 23rd, 2010. The seminar will be held between 9:30 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. on June 17th, June 24th, July 1st, July 9th (a Friday), July 15th, and July 23rd (a Friday). The final date will include a graduation ceremony and reception and will end at 1:30 p.m. 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.

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.

In addition, our summer program is particularly targetted at young leaders -- anywhere from the last year of high school until age 30 -- and the content will focus somewhat on issues of particular concern to young leaders.

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.