The Nonprofit Leadership and Social Entrepreneurship Program Richard Bland College of William and Mary June 14 - July 25, 2009

• Read the 2008 Program Report.
• Download the one page overview.
• Questions? Check out the FAQ.
• More Questions? Email the NLP staff.

The Nonprofit Leadership and Social Entrepreneurship Program (NLP) creates and empowers a statewide network of talented and committed students who share an ambition to work for positive and sustainable change. Each summer, the Phoenix Project seeks to prepare Virginia's next generation of highly effective social entrepreneurs to bridge the emerging and serious leadership gap in the Commonwealth's nonprofit sector, to expose leaders to the challenges of communities in distress and to infuse those communities with able hands and minds to assist their revitalization efforts to the benefit of the entire Commonwealth.

The NLP's six weeks are divided into an academic session and an experiential session.

“Taking part in this program was among the most important things I could do personally and professionally. It is transformative.” Mallory Johnson, Class of 2008 and President of the Phoenix Project Alumni Association

The Academic Session

Held on the campus of Richard Bland College in Petersburg, Virginia, the academic session allows the class of 30 students to study with a highly regarded faculty, develop skills in workshops run by successful practitioners, put lessons to the test through extensive simulations and meet with Virginia's most accomplished nonprofit, public and private sector entrepreneurs. The Phoenix Project's innovative curriculum, developed in consultation with state and national experts, is fast-paced, intense and hands-on. Students rapidly gain an understanding of the various facets of the nonprofit sector while developing the instincts, courage, relationships and talents that characterize successful social entrepreneurs.

The Experiential Session

During the experiential session, students work with Petersburg nonprofit and municipal organizations to address the city's most pressing economic and community development challenges. Rather than the traditional internship arrangement, in which a student works for a single organization, NLP students engage in teams on projects with numerous organizations with a diverse range of missions, offering an unmatched breadth of experience. The NLP has students test their new knowledge and abilities while confronting the particular challenges facing communities in distress. Students work closely with local residents and leaders, often assuming a leadership role and becoming familiar with both social entrepreneurs and the people they seek to empower and assist. By the program's end, students have developed and tested critical entrepreneurial knowledge and skills, forged deep bonds with a statewide community of students with similar aspirations and with Virginia's most respected social innovators, and made important contributions to the recovery of a significant Virginia community.

PAST PROGRAMS

During the 2007 NLP, students from 14 universities engaged in 45 education and training sessions conducted by 28 leading scholars and practitioners. They tackled 27 capacity building projects for 21 nonprofit organizations and municipal agencies logging over 8,000 hours of volunteer service.

During the 2008 NLP, 29 students from 15 universities engaged in 37 education and training sessions conducted by 42 guest scholars and social sector professionals. The class tackled 24 capacity building projects for 24 different nonprofit organizations and municipal agencies.

WHO CAN APPLY?

The Phoenix Project's summer Nonprofit Leadership and Social Entrepreneurship Program (NLP) completed its second year as Virginia's first statewide initiative to prepare our next generation of social entrepreneurs in July of 2008. Undergraduate and graduate students from universities across the Commonwealth competed for admission to the intensive program through which they gained valuable knowledge, skills, connections and experience.

All students attending Virginia universities, as well as Virginia residents attending college out-of-state are eligible to apply. All academic disciplines are welcome. The Phoenix Project enrolls a diverse and talented class of students with a demonstrated commitment to service and leadership. The 2009 NLP wil be held from June 14th to July 25th in Petersburg, Virginia. Petersburg is a city that offers students the opportunity to live and learn in the context of one of the Commonwealth's most distressed communities, and to be of service to a community in need.