Program Elements

The Massachusetts Education Policy Fellowship Program (EPFP) has been preparing leaders and policymakers in the education and human services fields since 1964.

Three Strands in EPFP

The program is organized around three major elements that shape the EPFP experience for participants, known as EPFP Fellows:

• Leadership.
  Fellows in the program learn about their own leadership styles as well as models of leadership prominent in the education and human services fields. A primary goal of the program is to help fellows become more effective leaders in their workplace.
• Public Policy.
  Fellows also learn about the public policy process at the local, state and national levels of government. The emphasis is on K-12 education policy, but other areas relevant to the education field are included. Fellows emerge from the program with a better understanding of the policy process as well as how they can impact policy making.
• Networking.
  Fellows have numerous opportunities to connect with other EPFP participants in Massachusetts as well as Fellows in the fifteen other state EPFP sites. The networking connections Fellows develop are an important part of the learning process and can also facilitate career advancement.

Program Format

Massachusetts EPFP is a ten-month program in which Fellows meet in a variety of learning environments.

• Overnight Retreat.
  The program year begins in the fall with an overnight retreat that focuses on team building and learning about Fellows’ leadership styles. Held at the Warren Conference Center in Ashland, Massachusetts, Fellows complete a leadership inventory instrument and a variety of other interactive exercises.
• Seminars.
  The retreat is followed by seminars approximately every two weeks, usually on Wednesdays, from 5:00 to 8:00 PM, including dinner. Seminars typically feature guest speakers and informal discussions on a variety of topics related to leadership and public policy. These meetings continue until graduation in early June. Seminars are held primarily at the Boston campus of Northeastern University.
• Beacon Hill Day.
  In the spring, Fellows meet for Beacon Hill Day on one afternoon, hearing from and discussing state policy with a number of key participants in the policy-making process.
• National Meetings.
  The program also includes two national meetings in which Fellows from all of the EPFP state sites meet for approximately three days. In the fall, the Leadership Forum focuses on leadership challenges in the 21st Century. In the spring, the Washington Policy Seminar focuses on national policy issues. In both meetings, experts in the field offer a variety of presentations, workshops, informal discussions, and simulations. National meetings also provide important opportunities to network with Fellows from other states.