Staff Cohort Program

Spring 2023 Staff Cohort applications are closed. If you are interested in applying for the fall 2023 Staff Cohort program, please email Gracie Fleming at gracie@leadmo.org.

The LeadMO/Action Staff Cohort program is one of our flagship programs, running three times per election cycle – once in even years and twice in odd numbered years. This cohort is designed to do two things: equip people with the tools and network needed to build a career in Missouri politics/non-profit advocacy space and connect them with opportunities to do good.

WHO: This program prioritizes diverse young people and college students who are looking to work on the upcoming/current election cycle as a political campaign staffer. That being said, LeadMO/Action welcomes applications from folks who are mid-career or looking to find their footing in the civic-forward space. We encourage applications from BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, economically challenged, and regionally diverse individuals. 

WHAT: This program follows a rigorous curriculum designed by top political professionals, pulling from a wide variety of experiences and perspectives, building a program that focuses on tried and true organizing skills, all from a modern lens and a “we’re all learning together” mindset.

HOW: Accepted applicants will participate in a virtual module of courses twice weekly for three weeks, covering foundational skills and tools needed to run a successful campaign. During this module we bring in world-class trainers to teach on their area of expertise and network with our cohort. From there students will participate in a weekend long capstone event to put skills to the test and continue building their political networks. This cohort requires a five week commitment of 10 hours per week + the full three-day Capstone.

AFTER: Following their time in our cohort, graduates will be able to lean on LeadMO (and the network gained throughout) for career advice and professional development. We believe the most meaningful takeaway from this program is the intentional mentorship from LeadMO staff and partners. 

Through the generosity and investment of our sponsors, foundational, and individual donors, the LeadMO Staff Cohort program is (and always will be) 100% free of charge.

GRADUATE HIGHLIGHTS


LeadMO is looking for the diverse, progressive staff to power change in Missouri. We are seeking staff who embody the following qualities:

  • Organizer Intelligence – this has nothing to do with formal education, but the ability to think, reflect, communicate, challenge the conventional wisdom, make judgments in complicated situations, and show flexibility.
  • Directed Rage – not temper, not partisan fervor, but a clear understanding of a broken system and an impatience in the face of that wrong and a drive to address it.
  • Willingness to Cross Race and Culture – be willing to work with people unlike oneself, people of other races, classes, orientations, faiths.
  • Experience – not necessarily in occupation, but evidence from your life of attempting to relate to people and to respond to situations that seemed to demand response; some success in whatever field or endeavor has occupied the individual’s time.
  • Drive – evidence you are committed to people and place and to embrace the tradition of organizing communities directly affected by injustice and a hunger to build power and take action from the bottom up.

The Spring 2023 Cohort is accepting applications now until mid-March. From there, the LeadMO staff will conduct interviews with applicants and finalize a roster ahead of a mid-April start date.

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