This June 3-8, 2012 in Chicago, network with the state's most prominent female leaders. Meet women from every level of government who are making a difference in Illinois. And learn how you can join them.
Participants are led through the process of understanding their own leadership qualities and gaining new leadership skills, including how to negotiate for a desired outcome, communicate effectively, work in diverse environments, and handle ethical dilemmas.
The week includes a policy theme, represented by a contemporary legislative proposal in Illinois. Participants are given informative materials that explain the policy and the political environment, and interact with policy experts from the University of Illinois and elsewhere. The goal is not only to understand one particular policy problem, but to gain important skills in effectively using expert information to make a persuasive argument.
Students learn first hand what it means to serve in public office. Women leaders, including current and former legislators, other elected and appointed officials, lobbyists, and political campaign staff, serve as mentors in the program, speaking in keynotes, panels and roundtable discussions. Students also see policy in action by visiting government offices during the week. Several women leaders live in the residence halls with the students, participating in the full week's events and providing numerous opportunities for informal conversations with students.
The program is structured for active learning. Activities throughout the sessions allow students to engage with the material and with the faculty and speakers in a fun and collegial atmosphere. This culminates in a group policy analysis project, in which students practice their new skills and present their findings in a mock legislative committee hearing.
NEW LeadershipTM Illinois is a joint initiative of the Institute of Government and Public Affairs at University of Illinois (IGPA) and the Conference of Women Legislators of the Illinois General Assembly (COWL). NEW LeadershipTM Illinois has been developed in partnership with the NEW Leadership Development Network established by the Center for American Women in Politics, a unit of the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. IGPA faculty and other policy experts run interactive workshops, and COWL members and other state leaders serve as speakers and program mentors. Through interactions with prominent Illinois leaders and activities designed to develop crucial skills, the program challenges our brightest students to think critically and creatively about public policy, and encourages them to make a commitment to public leadership early in their careers.
