Program Description

The Coro Community Problem-Solving Fellowship  invites African American college students studying in the Pittsburgh area to engage in a challenging leadership and professional development program.  The program is intended to expose our bright, talented, African American students to the professional, economic and social resources that exist in the region through multi-sector field assignments, seminars and networking events.

During the ten-week program, participants engage in individual placements in a short internship, attend weekly day-long seminars, interview major community leaders, complete a group project, and conduct leadership interviews.

Program Outcomes

• CPS graduates will be significantly better prepared to succeed and become leaders in their workplace.
• More African American college graduates will be living in the Greater Pittsburgh area.
• More African Americans will hold high-skilled jobs in Greater Pittsburgh, increasing local workplace diversity.

Benefits to Participants

• Enhanced professional and community leadership skills
• Engagement in a network of community leaders
• Accomplishment of a personal strategic plan with the support of a coach

Curriculum

Over the ten week period the fellows are exposed the following curriculum components:

• Placements
• Seminars
• Leadership Interviews
• Networking Opportunities
• Group Projects
• Mentors
• Personal Strategic Planning

Placements

Each participant will be hosted by an organization that will serve as a placement for them throughout the ten week program. Fellows will work four days a week at their placement and will receive professional feedback throughout their experience with the organization.  Placements are required to provide supervision of the participant throughout this time and are committed to assigning them to meaningful work tasks that will result in a significant professional learning experience.   In the past, many placements have offered their CPS Fellow fulltime jobs; however, this in not a requirement of the placement.

For companies and organizations:

Host a CPS Fellow and add capacity to your business! Also, check out other companies and organizations that have reaped the benefits of hosting a CPS fellow.

Seminars

Seminars provide an opportunity for participants to learn in a safe space and consist of experiential activities and comprehensive debriefs.   Seminars include training in communication, teamwork, collaboration, project management, networking, meeting management, critical thinking, professionalism, time management, assessing leadership and learning styles and other topics depending on participants’ needs.  After each seminar training activity or other curriculum component, such as a leadership interview or networking opportunity, the participants debrief the activity in order to analyze the best practices and lessons learned.  The debrief component of seminar is crucial to sustained learning and information sharing.  Seminars are facilitated by Coro staff and various community leaders.

Leadership Interviews

Participants have the opportunity to meet and network with key community leaders in the public, private and nonprofit sector through leadership interviews.  In seminar, participants receive training in effective inquiry and are then given the opportunity to practice these techniques to gain valuable and confidential information by interviewing various leaders.  The information from these interviews facilitate and understanding of power dynamics and highlight effective strategies to enhance professional development and overcome various barriers

Networking

Participants have the opportunity to network and build relationships with regional leaders and Coro alumni at various points throughout the program.  Coro staff use their contacts and community relationships to identify a variety of networking opportunities including conferences, receptions, entertainment events, press conferences and community meetings. Participants explore power networking in seminar and enhance these techniques through skill application at these networking events.

Group Projects

Each CPS class is divided into three or four teams. The teams work together using a consensus model to develop and implement a project based on a community need that they identify. The group selects a Project Manager and gives assignments to all members. During the course of the project the groups meet frequently to share best practices and to give each other feedback on the development of the projects. Coro staff provides oversight, but the t direction, design and implementation strategies of the projects belong to the teams. This component of the curriculum stresses the importance of group process, time management, understanding and working with different leadership styles and leveraging relationships gained from leadership interviews and networking.

Mentoring

Each participant is paired with a personal mentor throughout the program and after its completion.  The mentor is identified prior to the program by the community and Coro staff as a strong leader within their field and civic life and is matched with a participant based on their mentoring needs and fields of interest.  The mentor is responsible for assisting participants with any academic and professional challenges or opportunities and is required to communicate frequently with Coro staff.  Mentors will contact participants each week via phone or email and will personally meet with them three times throughout the program.  After the completion of the program, the pair is committed to communication once a month in person or via phone depending on the location of the participant for one year.  This relationship is vital to improving the academic success and graduation rates of the CPS participants, as well as helping them to locate and secure professional employment in the Pittsburgh region.  One means through which Mentors assist participants is through their support of the participant’s personal strategic planning process, described below.  CPS is a full time program.  It will run from Monday, June 2 to Friday, August 8.  Participants will be at their placements from Monday to Thursday.  Training will take place on Tuesday evenings and all day on Fridays.

Personal Strategic Planning

Each participant is required to create a strategic plan that will be complete within a year after the end of the program.  The plan focuses on defining and achieving outcomes in the participant’s academic, professional and community life. Participants will receive the support of the Coro training staff and their mentor to design, implement and accomplish three specific outcomes in these fields by setting SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timely) objectives for each outcome and by leveraging the participant’s strengths and networks.  Examples of outcomes may include:

• Academic: I will raise my grade point average 0.3 points by the end of fall semester.
• Professional:  I will secure a full-time position in a nonprofit organization in Pittsburgh that serves the African American community by May 31 of next year.
• Community: I will support an organization that works to improve the health of my neighborhood by volunteering 100 hours of my time by June 30 of next year.

Program Timeline

CPS is a full time program.  The 2008 class will begin on June 2.  Participants work at their placements from Monday to Thursday.  Leadership training will take place on Tuesday evenings and all day on Fridays.

Costs and Compensation

There is no cost to apply for this program. Fellows will be awarded a $2000 stipend and Port Authority bus passes.

Application Information

The updated application is available here.  You can email, fax, or mail in your application and supporting materials. 

Please include the following with your application:

1. Essay. In no more than 500 words, please describe your career goals and interests.

2. Essay. In no more than 500 words, please explain your reason for applying to the program and how your participation would reflect your commitment to the region.

3. Current resume. Include paid and volunteer positions, special skills, honors and awards, campus activities, community activities.

4. Biographical Sketch. Please provide in no more than 100 words a biographical sketch. 

5. Letter of Recommendation. Recommendation should come from an individual (not a family member) who is familiar with your character, academic abilities and accomplishments.

Interviews will be scheduled mid-April 2008, please contact Coro to apply.

Nomination Process

We use a nomination process to help us identify qualified candidates.  If you know someone who would benefit from the CPS fellowship, please nominate them.  Note: One does not have to be nominated to apply to CPS.

Application Selection Criteria

1. Selection will be determined based on a demonstrated interest and commitment to developing leadership skills, strengthening communities and a dedication to Pittsburgh.

2. A committee of educators and community leaders will review applications.

3.  Finalists will be asked to participate in an interview.

Contact

If you would like information on the CPS Fellowship contact:

Misti McKeehen

Director of Recruitment
33 Terminal Way
Suite 429-A
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Phone: (412) 258.2676

Fax: (412) 201-0672
Email: mmckeehen@coro.org

or:

Ashlee Davis

CPS Recruitment Coordinator & CPS 2007 Alumni

cpsrecruitment@gmail.com