Program Structure
The Fellows Program is founded on Coro’s unique curriculum of core leadership skills-building, paired with real-world experiences that rely on the city as the classroom. Unconventional by traditional academic standards, the Coro Fellows Program in Public Affairs is rigorous and demanding. Since 1947, the Fellows Program has combined experiential learning, face-to-face interaction with private, public, and non-profit decision-makers, and development in analytical, group governance, and communication skills.
The Fellows Program has four major components: field placements, seminars, interviews, and focus weeks.
Field Placements - Each Fellow works in a series of month-long, individually tailored assignments with a business, labor union, government agency, non-profit/philanthropic organization, political campaign, and an independent placement. These placements provide the opportunity for Fellows to see how organizations are structured, how they function, and how they fit into the social, political, economic, and cultural fabric of a city.
See a list of past field placement hosts »
Seminars - Weekly seminars allow Fellows to reflect on their field placements and develop leadership and management skills. Facilitated by the Fellows trainer, skills-based seminars may delve into negotiation, facilitation, consensus-building, public speaking, or project management. Fellows are introduced to a variety of tools that will help them think more clearly and effectively, free of assumption and prejudgment.
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. These interviews take place behind closed doors allowing the interviewee to speak more freely and give the Fellows a more accurate portrait of what is really going on.
Focus Weeks - Focus weeks allow Fellows to 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, and other interaction with practitioners in the field. Varying from year to year and Coro center to center, Fellows may explore such topics as state and federal government, agriculture, public finance, media, international affairs, and education.
Time Commitment
The Fellows Program in Public Affairs is a full-time program with nine months of rigorous training and activity. 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. As such, Fellows are not permitted to obtain employment outside of Coro while participating in the program.
University Partnerships
Coro has partnered with a number of graduate institutions across the country to offer special credit, scholarships, and admissions consideration to Coro Fellows upon their completion of the program, including the Milano School of Management and Urban Policy at The New School, the Heinz School of Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University, and the Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis.
Financial Information
Tuition waivers and payment schedules vary between Coro centers. Nationally, there is tuition of $3,500, of which a partial deposit is due upon acceptance into the program. Need-based stipends are available at all Coro centers.
See the Financial Fact Sheet (pdf) »
Life After the Fellows Program
Fellows Program graduates make innumerable contributions to their communities, working with private, public, and non-profit agencies and institutions – across the country and around the globe. Participation in the Fellows Program is only the beginning of a Fellow’s trajectory. The Fellows Program develops the skills and relationships young leaders need to make a difference in New York City, and beyond, preparing tomorrow’s leaders for a lifetime of civic engagement and community empowerment.
Read about one grad after the Fellows Program »
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