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The Coro™ Fellows Program in Public Affairs is an intensive, nine-month, full-time program that combines exposure to nonprofit, government, business, labor, and electoral politics with rigorous, hands-on training.
The program utilizes experiential learning, interviews with private, public, and non-profit decision-makers, and training in critical thinking, communication, and project management. Fellows are bright, self-initiating, and self-managing individuals. They have demonstrated leadership ability, integrity, and a commitment to public service.
The Coro™ Fellows in St. Louis explore the world of public affairs in one of the country's most dynamic and ever-changing regions. St. Louis affords a unique perspective on some of the key issues that confront our world today, including education, agriculture, healthcare, and biosciences. With a cost of living calculated as the 2nd lowest in the nation's 20 largest metropolitan areas, several prominent universities, and some of the largest companies in the world - including nine Fortune 500 companies - St. Louis is an ideal host to the Coro™ Fellowship.
The Fellows Program has four major components.
Field Placements: Over the course of the program, Fellows complete projects in each sector (business, organized labor, government, nonprofit/philanthropic, and electoral politics). Fellows also carry out a group project and an individual project.
Weekly Seminars: Seminars are held each week for Fellows to reflect on the work and learning at each of their field placements and to provide the Fellows with training to support their effectiveness when working individually and as a group.
Group Interviews: Fellows have the opportunity to conduct group interviews with influential men and women throughout the public affairs arena, giving Fellows rare first-hand exposure to leadership from diverse sectors. Past interviewees include Francis Slay, St. Louis City Mayor, Michelle Tucker, Senior Vice President, Corporate Social Responsibility Market Manager at Bank of America, Hugh McVey, President of the Missouri AFL-CIO, and Eric Greitens, Founder and CEO of The Mission Continues.
Issue Weeks: Fellows explore a variety of civic issues and their role in our democratic system through site visits, assignments, interviews with individuals of different - and often conflicting - viewpoints. Past weeks have included Agriculture Week, Media Week, and a National Affairs Week in Washington, D.C.
Time Commitment: The Coro Fellows Program in Public Affairs is a rigorous and intense, full-time training program. The program lasts nine months, from September through May. The average weekly time commitment is estimated at 60 hours, although this can vary greatly depending on specific projects in which the Fellows are involved. Fellows are not permitted to obtain employment outside of the Fellowship while participating in the program.
Tuition:
Tuition for the Coro Fellows program in St. Louis is $4,000. Tuition includes a nonrefundable deposit of $350 due upon acceptance into the program. Tuition scholarships are awarded based on financial need. Alumni honorary scholarships are also awarded to qualified candidates. Fellows may also apply for the Gudipati Tuition Scholarship.
We invite you to support the Coro Fellows Program and the Coro Women in Leadership Program by contributing to the Coro Scholarship Fund. Thanks to a generous gift from Emerson, each dollar given will be matched up to $25,000. To join us in making a gift today to help support these programs, please click here. Fellows with documented financial need may request a tuition payment plan during the program. Stipends are awarded based on financial need to assist with any healthcare costs and/or the overall cost of living for the duration of the 9 month program. In the past, 100% of those who qualify have received financial support of some kind. Decisions on financial assistance and tuition scholarships are made after admission to the program. It is important to note that Greater St. Louis has the lowest cost of living among the nation’s 20 largest metropolitan areas. See a breakdown here. Participants are required to have a car.
Meet the 2012-13 Coro™ Fellows
The Fellows program application process is extremely competitive, with a global applicant pool. Finalists are selected for an all-day interview process in the spring of each year. From that, 16 Fellows are invited to come to St. Louis. Fellows come from diverse ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds, educational and work experiences, political views, geography, age, and gender.
FOCUS St. Louis seeks to provide meaningful projects that produce value for your organization and learning for Fellows. We are currently accepting proposals for projects in business, government, organized labor, electoral politics, and nonprofit sectors. Fellows also conduct Group Projects, which engage 3-6 Fellows to complete a short-term, high-impact project and can be in any sector - public, private, or civic.
To find out more about hosting a Fellow, please contact Keith Clark at 314-622-1250 x103 or KeithC@focus-stl.org.