ELISS: Emerging Leaders In Science and Society

Prepare Future Leaders.
Connect Communities.

Please make a tax-deductible gift to ELISS today, and vote on a theme area.

Questions? Please contact eliss@aaas.org or 202-695-2761.

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Program Description

ELISS is an extracurricular, volunteer experience for graduate and professional students at select partner campuses. Fellows will collaborate with a multi–campus ELISS team, mentors, and students on their own campuses to help the public and stakeholders at local and national level better understand a complex issue in one of two theme areas: Energy & Environment or Health & Wellbeing. Over the course of a year, fellows will travel three times and volunteer 3–5 hours per week to:

• Interview stakeholders and experts in their community to better understand the causes of and potential solutions to a complex issue;
• Inform the public and current leaders about an important issue through a collaborative team project (e.g. informational website or video, museum exhibit) and local and national events;
• Develop 21^st century leadership skills such as: communicating with diverse audiences, collaborating with a distributed team, creative problem solving, and entrepreneurship;
• Explore career opportunities in all sectors with the help of mentors at local and national levels; and
• Build a professional community with the knowledge, skills, and motivation to tackle complex, cross–boundary problems.

ELISS anticipates providing funding for the following activities:

• Multi–day orientation
• Mid–year, in–person team planning meeting
• Campus events and team projects
• Virtual learning and planning sessions
• Culminating briefing for national leaders
• Professional development and seed grants

ELISS does not provide support for tuition or stipends.

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page updated 06/14/2013