The Peter Bowe and Barbara Stewart Foundation announced one of the largest gifts in the foundation's history to fund a multi-year initiative to diversify and expand the reach of The Policy Circle's Civic Leadership Engagement Roadmap program.
The Civic Leadership Engagement Roadmap (CLER) is a proprietary, experiential, three-month, self-paced leadership program that takes you from having general civic knowledge to becoming a civic leader.
CLER is designed to help emerging and aspiring women leaders expand their impact through civic engagement. Our innovative, action-oriented curriculum is designed to inform, prepare, and build the next generation of community leaders.
The CLER curriculum features one-on-one coaching, mastermind peer groups, networking opportunities, and curated activities designed to help you build connections with local policy leaders and decision-makers. CLER is an opportunity for you to learn how to take intentional actions to become a more impactful citizen and connect with with other civic-minded women representing a diverse range of business experience, backgrounds, and community involvement.
The three CLER courses, described in detail below, focus on different spheres of government and policy:
“The CLER program has helped me understand the fundamentals of the U.S. government, and instilled enough confidence to lead and influence for the betterment of my community. I recommend this program to the people who are immigrants, and have a passion for public service, but do not have a clear understanding of U.S. Constitution and the way government functions.”
Vasavi, Illinois Circle Leader and CLER Graduate
“The depth of material provided through the CLER program strengthened my political knowledge base more than I could’ve imagined. As one who desires to run for political office someday, this program built confidence, knowledge and connections that will last a lifetime.”
Lindsay, Indiana Circle Leader and CLER Graduate
“The Policy Circle’s CLER program helped me determine how to leverage my experience to effect change in my community.”
ZeNai, CLER 2021 Graduate
Spring 2023 Cohort: February 1 – April 30
Summer 2023 Cohort: June 1 – August 31
Fall 2023 Cohort: September 1 – November 30
CLER 1.0 is designed to take you to the next level of civic engagement by guiding you through a deep dive of your local government to help you:
After completing CLER 1.0 you will be equipped with a strong foundation of how your local government operates and a deeper understanding of how you fit in as a change agent to become more active in your community.
CLER 1.0 is a three-month self-paced course, which includes two monthly virtual meetings, and approximately six hours of monthly experiential engagement.
Fall CLER 1.0 Cohort: September 1 – November 30, 2022
CLER 2.0 invites graduates of the first module of our CLER curriculum to the next level of civic engagement.
Graduation from CLER 1.0 is a prerequisite for eligibility in this program.
During CLER 2.0 you will have the opportunity to understand and experience:
After completing CLER 2.0 you will be inspired to become more engaged at the state and federal level.
The CLER 3.0 Education program is not a series of one-way webinars, but rather an experiential roadmap to active engagement where you will be encouraged to interact with education stakeholders in your community.
The hot button issues in education are just a small fraction of the responsibilities of a school board member, and what you need to watch for as a parent. CLER 3.0 Education is a launchpad to prepare you to be an effective advocate with substantive knowledge, to be an informed parent armed with important questions, or to assume a leadership role in education for your community.
During CLER 3.0 Education you will learn about:
After completing CLER 3.0, you will be empowered with the tools and information you need to become an education advocate in your community and ensure that excellence in education is the top priority in your local school district.
CLER 3.0 is a stand-alone course with no prerequisites.
Fall CLER 3.0 Cohort: September 1 – November 30, 2022