The Minnesota Young American Leaders Program (MYALP) is an intensive, three-and-a-half day program at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities convening approximately sixty rising leaders from across for-profit, government, and non-profit sectors who are committed to working across sectors to help their communities and our region prosper inclusively.
The program interweaves case studies, insights from national and Minnesota practitioners of cross-sector leadership, diverse perspectives on our current state economy, and research presentations from scholars to provide tools for cross-sector collaboration and to invest in rising leaders who impact the future of our region and state. Program themes include: The State and Trajectory of U.S. and Minnesota Economies: Insights and Examples; Cross Sector Leadership: Insights and Examples; Building Future collaborations for our Region; and Leadership Chats: The View from the Trenches.
Participants of MYALP have the opportunity to collaborate after the Program to develop and potentially launch an initiative for public good and to build a broader capacity in their region by deepening their practical knowledge of what it takes to make shared leadership initiatives happen.
Goals & Outcomes
During the Minnesota Young American Leaders Program, participants:
- Forge connections with other rising leaders across and within Minnesota’s cities and regions;
- Deepen knowledge and share perspectives regarding the state and trajectory of our national and regional economic development;
- Learn together from examples of and tools for innovative cross-sector collaborations that address key challenges, create opportunity and bridge divides in our communities;
- Work with each other, program alumni, and senior leaders to frame and develop future collaborative initiatives for the good of our region.
When is the Program?
MYALP takes place in late May each year at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities campus. MYALP 2024 will be taking place May 19-May 22, 2024.
Participants gather on Sunday evening for an opportunity to meet, introduce the cohort regions, and begin discussions regarding issues affecting their region before the Program curriculum starting on Monday morning. The Program concludes mid-day Wednesday. All costs (including lodging, meals, mileage for out of town participants) will be fully covered.
Interested in Applying?
Requirements
As a Program focused on building cross-sector capacity for public good, we seek high potential individuals who:
- Have a minimum of seven years of professional experience and interest in collaborating across for-profit, government, and nonprofit sectors for the good of their city, state, or region. This level of professional experience helps to ensure that participants can connect with each other to a range of organizations and other individuals in their cities and can - in their future collaborations - call on some experience of leadership within as well as across their organizations, division, or community.
- Are open to new ideas and relationships, are able to bring expertise to bear, and are willing to debate tough issues civilly.
- Have demonstrated experience working across differences such as race, ideology and sector.
Key Dates
October 3, 2023: Call for nominations and applications open
November 14, 2023: Applications due
February 6, 2024: Applicants notified
February 16, 2024: Cohorts announced
March & April 2024 – Pre-Program Orientation Events
May 19 - May 22, 2024: MYALP
It is critical that you are able to attend the full program. Partial attendance will not be allowed. All lodging and travel expenses to and from the program will be covered and participants will be expected to stay on campus for the duration of the program.
Application Questions
- Please tell us about your professional work and aspirations. (250 words/1600 characters)
- Please tell us about your public interest work, e.g., volunteering, board service, personal projects, community engagement, and aspirations. (250 words/1600 characters)
- In the next 3-5 years, would these aspirations best be served by developing your network of civically engaged rising leaders within Minnesota or nationally across other states/cities? (250 words/1600 character)
- Tell us about a time when you worked across some kind of difference (e.g., across sectors, across functions, across ideological differences, etc.). What was the situation and what did you do? (250 words/1600 character)
- (Optional) What’s something you want us to know about you or your life experience that we didn’t ask? (250 words/1600 character
How Do I Apply?
Nominations and applications for MYALP 2024 will open on October 3, 2023. A form will be linked after that time.
The Program will gather cohorts from the Greater Fargo-Moorhead, Greater Mankato, Greater Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Greater St. Cloud, and Northeast MN regions. There are no costs for participants to attend.
Interested in Nominating an Individual?
Requirements
As a Program focused on building cross-sector capacity for public good, we seek high potential individuals who:
- Have a minimum of seven years of professional experience and interest in collaborating across for-profit, government, and nonprofit sectors for the good of their city, state, or region. This level of professional experience helps to ensure that participants can connect with each other to a range of organizations and other individuals in their cities and can - in their future collaborations - call on some experience of leadership within as well as across their organizations, division, or community.
- Are open to new ideas and relationships, are able to bring expertise to bear, and are willing to debate tough issues civilly.
- Have demonstrated experience working across differences such as race, ideology and sector.
Questions to Consider
Civic Engagement: What makes this person’s civic track record distinctive? Examples of impact?
Runway: Where does this person sit in the balance between track record and runway? How can the MYALP experience accelerate or alter this person’s trajectory?
Be open, bring expertise: Can they engage across regional topics? Can they successfully engage across differences? Do they have an opportunity to apply the program learnings? Does the person have a wide breadth of interests/issue areas?
Nomination Process
Nominations require your name and the applicant’s name, email, and sector. Once we receive your nomination, we will reach out to the applicant sharing your name an invitation to apply. Applicants will still need to apply to be considered for the cohort. It’s helpful if they know you’ve nominated them and hear directly from you why it would be a good program for them to consider.
MYALP Partners
Growing from a partnership among the University of Minnesota’s Center for Integrative Leadership, the Itasca Project, and the Harvard Business School, the Program originated in 2019 and shares themes as well as selected faculty and content with Harvard Business School’s Young American Leaders Program.
Regional Selection Partners
Each region has its own local selection organization, which distributed the call for nominations and applications and coordinates the selection process. These partners are:
Greater Fargo-Moorhead:
Greater Mankato:
Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul:
Greater Rochester:
Greater St. Cloud:
Northeast MN:
Contact
MYALP Alumni Only: Please click the link below to update your email address, organization and/or job title with the Program.