Abundance Elected Fellowship

Fellows work through projects with a cohort of local elected officials facing similar obstacles. The inaugural cohort mixed city size, region, and form of government, from strong-mayor cities to council-manager cities. Multiple In-person gatherings (travel covered) and monthly virtual meetings, build the relationships Fellows lean on when a project hits a snag.

Communications, messaging, and storytelling were the most valued part of the curriculum in the Fellows’ end-of-year survey. Training covers how to frame a reform, tell the story, develop it for social media, and build the coalition to pass it, alongside policy development and evaluation. 

AEN resources what fellows need to be successful, whether that’s a former elected official that’s done the work, a former fellow that knows what it’s like to work through change in one year, experts in the field, or researchers. If you need it, we’ll find the right resource to help you succeed.

You pick one policy or practice to implement in their own jurisdiction and work through it with your cohort, advisors, and experts, from design to implementation, with AEN staff support along the way. The project becomes a case study, so other members can build on what you learned. You don’t need a finished plan to apply, just the issue you want to focus on.