Washington, D.C.—People For the American Way Foundation’s Young Elected Officials (YEO) Network today launched the first of four three-day trainings for the 2019 Front Line Leaders Academy, taking place in Phoenix, Ariz. The training will convene a diverse group of 30 dynamic young leaders from across the country.
“Our political moment requires new perspectives from young leaders drawn from the communities they seek to represent,” YEO’s Raquel Jones said. “The Front Line Leaders Academy supports these young people as they seek to live their values in the public square while defending their communities in the age of Trump.”
Started in 2005, FLLA provides values-based trainings and leadership development to individuals seeking social change in their communities with limited access to traditional political institutions. The program aims to create a new political system of truly representative government that amplifies the voices of youth and marginalized communities.
Fellows selected for the program participate in four three-day weekend trainings over the course of the six-month program. These trainings cover a wide range of political and organizing skills and tactics, including how to be an effective campaign manager, finance director, communications director, field organizer and candidate. By graduation, FLLA Fellows develop a wide range of political skills and have compiled a resources workbook that will help them to be effective local leaders.
The 2019 Cohort
After a rigorous selection process that included nearly 100 applicants, 30 young leaders were selected from across the country to make up FLLA’s latest cohort. The average age of the Fellows is 27. Eighty-seven percent of Fellows are people of color, 66 percent are women and a third of the Fellows are LGBTQ. The group represents 14 states and the District of Columbia.
Meet this year’s cohort: https://www.yeonetwork.org/flla
About YEO
The YEO Network, a nonpartisan program of People For the American Way Foundation, is the first and only national initiative to provide a network of support to the newest generation of progressive leaders at every level of elected office. The Network was founded in 2005 with the mission to unite and support elected leaders ages 35 and under who share a passion for building communities that reflect values of freedom, fairness, and opportunity for all. Since then, the Network has grown to include more than 1,000 elected officials across the country in offices ranging from local school boards to the United States Congress. Learn more at https://www.yeonetwork.org.
About People For the American Way Foundation
People For the American Way Foundation, the non-partisan affiliate of People For the American Way, is a progressive advocacy organization founded to fight right-wing extremism and defend constitutional values under attack, including free expression, religious liberty, equal justice under the law, and the right to meaningfully participate in our democracy. Learn more at https://www.pfaw.org/about-us/.