The TFAS Public Policy Fellowship is a year-long networking and education program designed to develop young leaders with a shared commitment to improving public policy.
The curriculum for the 2021-22 TFAS Public Policy Fellowship will focus on “The Experiment in Self-Government,” examining those challenges and questions a free society must address in order to flourish as well as the unique advantages it can enjoy. The program places particular emphasis on the ideas and seminal texts of the American Founding. It runs from September 2021 to May 2022 and includes monthly evening sessions and two weekend retreats. Potential discussion topics include: A Virtuous Citizenry, Constitutionalism, Security and Foreign Policy, Deliberation and Communication and Freedom of Religion.
The goal of the Fellowship is to provide events that allow young professionals to foster strong connections with peers working in public policy while building an understanding of the principles of government through deliberation and debate. Fellows will participate in academic discussion sessions while networking with key public policy leaders, academics and journalists.
The TFAS Public Policy Fellowship challenged me to find my voice. Surrounded as I am by brilliant peers, I know I must be prepared and speak well but I must also be open to having my mind changed. It has given me the confidence to engage with my peers in open and pleasant conversations about American political philosophy, public policy, and the future of the country. I have benefited immensely from this experience, and I am grateful.” – Colleen Harmon, 2020-21 Public Policy Fellow
2021-22 FELLOWSHIP CURRICULUM
The TFAS Public Policy Fellowship combines networking, professional development and academic discussions. The 2021-22 curriculum will include:
- Monthly discussions in Washington, D.C., with public policy experts, academics and political leaders on topics fundamental to republican government.
- A fall weekend retreat in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, to explore the principles espoused in the Lincoln-Douglas debates and how those ideas are still relevant for modern discourse and policy.
- A spring weekend retreat in Charlottesville, Virginia, on American National Character which examines the character of American citizenship at the time of the Founding and today and asks what can be done to renew a unified and spirited commitment to freedom and self-reliance.
The bond of community that comes from sharing our love of America, political philosophy and connecting those principles to public policy is what I have enjoyed most about the TFAS Public Policy Fellowship.” – Christiana Reasor, 2019-20 Public Policy Fellow
APPLICATION DETAILS
To apply to the program, please complete this form by Sunday, June 1, at midnight. Please contact Michelle Le, TFAS vice president of international and alumni programs, at michelle@TFAS.org with any questions. All applicants must:
- Live and work in the field of public policy in the Washington, D.C., area
- Be professionals committed to the principles of limited government
- Commit to attending the monthly evening sessions (Tuesdays 6:30-8:30 p.m.) as well as the weekend fall and spring retreats
The Fellowship is designed for those with two to ten years’ professional experience, but all applicants with a strong resume will be considered. Graduate students may apply, but preference will be given to those currently working in the field of public policy.
2021-22 TENTATIVE SCHEDULE
Welcome Reception
Sept. 14, 2021
6-8:30 p.m.
Monthly Speaker Events
Nov. 9, 2021
Dec. 7, 2021
Jan. 11, 2022
March 8, 2022
April 12, 2022
May 10, 2022
Fall Retreat
Oct. 15-17, 2021
Location: Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Spring Retreat
Feb. 25-27, 2022
Location: Charlottesville, Virginia
Apply Today