PLA Core Workshop
Participants will be equipped with ideas and skills to respond to contemporary American political conflicts. Sessions will include presentations from scholars and practitioners with an emphasis on group dynamics and networking. Participants will build foundations of understanding from a diverse set of professional and personal backgrounds and will develop contacts with a dynamic cohort of participants who are passionate about unity and problem-solving. Participants will also gain membership in our alumni organization, which holds engaging events exclusively for Political Leadership Academy alumni.
Session Dates and Times
Sessions occur 10:00am to 2:30pm in-person at GMU on Saturdays and 6:00pm-7:30pm virtually on Thursdays
- Thursday, November 7th
- Saturday, November 9th
- Thursday, November 14th
- Saturday, November 16th
- Thursday, November 21st
- Saturday, November 23rd
- Thursday, December 5th
- Saturday, December 7th
- Saturday, December 14th
Featured Topics
Topics that will be discussed include but are not limited to:
- Reflections on the Election; Polarization and De-Polarization in American politics
- The Importance of Being a Reflective Practitioner.
- Constructive conversations in the wake of the election
- Who are We? Who are they? Identity, culture, narrative and Conflict.
- Ethical and Adaptive Leadership
- Conflict Sensitivity and Transformation
- Race, Class and Power
- Communication strategies
- Pluralism in Diversifying Democracy
- Contending with Misinformation and Disinformation
- Preventing Political Violence
- De-Polarization in Practice
- Dialogue facilitation
Tuition
In-person tuition: $1,000 (lunch is included for all in-person sessions)
Online tuition: $850
Scholarships: Available with needs-based consideration. Please indicate your need in the application or contact [email protected] for more details.
Previous Speakers
The PLA utilizes scholars and practitioners who are experts in their fields to engage our participants. A full list of this sessions speakers will be sent to participant’s closer to the start of the workshop. Previous speakers have included:
- Andy Shallal, Founder, Busboys and Poets
- Nicole Rowsell, Former Acting Vice President, National Democratic Institute
- Karen Keys-Gamarra, Virginia State Delegate
- Keith Allred, Director, National Institute for Civil Discourse
- The Honorable Tom Davis, Former US Congressman
- Alp Ozerdem, Dean of the Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution
- Thom Little, State Legislative Leaders Foundation
- The Honorable Stephanie Murphy, Former US Representative