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Emerging leaders are educators who
All emerging leaders establish an understanding of ASCD's mission and goals, attend the ASCD Leader to Leader (L2L) Conference, connect with experienced ASCD leaders, and engage in a two-year program of activities.
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There is no age limit for Emerging Leaders program participants. However, since the program is targeted at educators who have been in the profession for 5–15 years and are just beginning to pursue leadership opportunities within ASCD and the field of education, most ASCD emerging leaders tend to be under the age of 40. We ask for a date of birth on the online application to help ensure that each class of emerging leaders comprises a diverse group of individuals.
The window for applying will open on February 1, and information will be announced on the Are You an Emerging Leader? page.
The window for applying runs from February 1 through March 31 of each year. Please check back here for information when the window to apply is open.
The ASCD Emerging Leaders program application is an online form. We recommend that you fill it out in one sitting. Please allow at least 30 minutes to complete the application. To prepare to fill out the application, either print out a PDF copy of the application or have the following information ready before accessing the online form:
Contact Information
Demographic Information
About You
Anyone can nominate candidates for the Emerging Leaders program. Self-nominations are welcome. Candidates are then invited to complete an application during the months of February and March.
Completed applications are scored by a selection panel trained to use a rubric focused on the program goals. The selection panel is composed of ASCD staff and external reviewers who currently hold leadership positions within the organization. All panelists participate in a teleconference to select the finalists. Finalists are forwarded to the executive director for approval.
Each new class of emerging leaders is announced in May.
The selection committee will accept all applicants who are a good fit for the program. Successful applicants will articulate all or most of the following components in their application: 5–15 years in education; a willingness to engaged with ASCD; demonstrated effectiveness, drive, vision, and passion for the profession; an alignment with ASCD mission and vision; and a commitment to pursuing leadership opportunities. As a group, each class of emerging leaders demonstrates diversity of perspective, role, experience, location, and demographics.
Once the new class of emerging leaders has been selected, ASCD makes an announcement welcoming the new class to the ASCD community. Emerging leaders are given a press release template to aid in communicating this achievement at the local level.
Emerging leaders will be invited to attend an online orientation session, which covers the expectations for program participants as well as tips for maximizing the program experience. The orientation session will be recorded and archived for those who are unable to attend the live session.
Emerging leaders are then asked to complete an interest inventory, which will help ASCD staff distribute targeted resources and information to program participants. With support from ASCD each emerging leader is expected to create and pursue unique leadership pathways at ASCD.
Throughout the program, emerging leaders will
At the conclusion of the program, emerging leaders receive a certificate of completion and a letter of congratulations from ASCD. Emerging Leaders alumni are encouraged to remain involved with ASCD and continue their leadership and influence through formal and informal leadership roles.
Emerging leaders receive
Emerging leaders are expected to (optional activities listed in italics)
Many of the exclusive opportunities ASCD offers to emerging leaders depend on a number of factors and are always changing. The following are a few of the opportunities ASCD has arranged for emerging leaders in the past:
Since 2005, the ASCD Emerging Leaders program has been developing the future leaders of the organization. Throughout their two year involvement in the program, emerging leaders have pursued leadership paths as unique and diverse as the leaders themselves. The goal of the Emerging Leaders Grant Program is to expand those leadership paths in a way that directly benefits students and the education profession. By awarding grants of up to $2,000 to selected emerging leaders, this opportunity is designed to support innovative approaches to whole child education and help emerging leaders grow professionally and gather information that may help improve the way other educators learn, teach, and lead.
ASCD will accept grant proposals via electronic application between June 1 and August 1, 2014. Applicants will receive an e-mail confirming receipt of the proposal submission. Applicants may submit up to three proposals, but no more than one will be accepted per individual. Once the deadline has passed, a committee of ASCD stakeholders will review and rate the submitted grant proposals. Upon review and evaluation, the committee will grant up to $2,000 per proposal to support implementation of the project. Successful proposals will effectively describe
During the grant review and rating process, the committee may ask applicants for additional detail on the proposal before making a final decision. In some cases, a proposal may be funded at a lower level (i.e., $2,000 proposed and $1,500 granted). Grant funds will be issued by October 15. Grantees will be asked to submit a midyear report in January. At the conclusion of the school year, grant fund recipients will present an ASCD webinar to share their successes or lessons learned from the proposal implementation process.
ASCD emerging leaders are encouraged to collaborate with others in the ASCD community or the greater education community to implement proposed activities. Although working with other groups is not required to receive a grant, ASCD recognizes that engagement with other leaders and organizations may help ensure a proposal's success.
Emerging leaders in their second year of the program are eligible to apply for grant funding.
Even though ASCD emerging leaders are encouraged to follow the leadership path that most aligns with their interests, leadership pathways fall into five general categories:
Examples of each leadership pathway are listed below. Learning and leadership action plans may combine several pathways or focus on a single pathway. Please note that some of the opportunities listed below may depend on a separate application or approval process to participate. Although emerging leaders have access to guidance and support from emerging leader coaches, liaisons, and staff, the success of each endeavor cannot be guaranteed.
The Emerging Leaders program is designed to prepare diverse educators for leadership roles in ASCD and its constituent groups. By the conclusion of their participation in the program, ASCD emerging leaders will have at a minimum
Emerging leaders must apply to complete the program. Successful applicants will have met the minimum expectations of the program and demonstrated a willingness to engage with ASCD throughout the program's course. Emerging leaders who successfully complete the program will receive a certificate of completion and a letter from ASCD's Executive Director.
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