Rockefeller Leadership Fellows

As Rockefeller Leadership Fellows, juniors and seniors gain a better understanding of the qualities and responsibilities expected of public policy leaders and learn to adapt their own leadership styles to different situations. Fellows are selected during the spring or summer term and begin the program in the fall of the following academic year.

Rockefeller Leadership Fellows is a two-term cohort-based program open to juniors and seniors of all majors. Over the course of the year, Fellows develop a close bond with their cohort as they reflect on their leadership experience, strengths, and weaknesses and learn from the insight and experience of each other, guest speakers, and alumni. Fellows learn about various management and leadership techniques and skills, work on public speaking and presentation skills, and have opportunities for engagement with alumni. Throughout the program, fellows work in small groups on a project that moves a public policy initiative forward. Fellows choose their project areas in the fall and work through the winter term toward a presentation in front of a panel. Fellows apply leadership lessons to their roles on campus and consider how they will live out their leadership through public policy engagement post-Dartmouth.

• RLF kicks off, with an off campus overnight event on September 27th.
• During Winterim, Fellows will travel to Washington, DC to engage with policy leaders and tour the Capital.
• During the Winter term, we will have opportunities for half day visits to the New Hampshire and Vermont legislatures.
• Weekly program sessions are on Tuesday evenings in the fall and winter terms where we will hear from speakers on public policy and personal leadership topics.

Upcoming undergraduate juniors and seniors who:

• Have demonstrated leadership in some capacity on and/or off campus.
• Have an interest in and commitment to the two-term program.
• Will be on campus and able to attend in-person sessions in the fall and winter terms.
• Have an interest in public policy (no experience in public policy needed).

Rising juniors and seniors who are interested in the Rockefeller Leadership Fellows program complete an online application. The selection process also consists of an individual interview. The application for the 2025-2026 school year can be found here.

Deadlines:

The application deadline for 2025-2026 is May 16th at midnight.

For more information about the program, email Rockefeller.Leadership.Fellows@dartmouth.edu or contact Bob Coates.