Worcester Civic Leaders Program

Your journey begins with an 8-week summer program featuring trainings, workshops, and cohort sessions grounded in curriculum from The Alliance for Nonprofit Growth and Opportunities (TANGO). You will develop and deepen your knowledge on a variety of topics including how boards function, committee structures, meeting participation, fundraising, financial literacy, strategic planning, donor stewardship, and relationship building. Our cohort sessions will promote group and self-reflection on how our own lived experiences, values, and aspirations shape the leaders we want to become.

Board service begins at the start of the academic year and is supported by bi-weekly cohort check-ins facilitated by Binienda Center staff. You will share opportunities and challenges of board membership, assess progress, engage with guest speakers from on and off campus, explore career pathways, and collaborate on a presentation related to your work for the WSU Celebration of Scholarship & Creativity and/or other related conferences such as those hosted by Campus Compact.

Students who complete this program will:

- Contribute confidently and effectively on a local nonprofit board.

- Demonstrate understanding of nonprofit governance, including board roles, fiduciary duties, strategic planning, and fundraising.

- Apply leadership and communication skills in real-world board and committee settings.

- Analyze the role of philanthropy and public purpose in advancing community impact.

- Articulate their civic identity and sense of agency within Worcester’s civic landscape.

- Grow a stronger sense of belonging at Worcester State and in the Worcester community, and see themselves as individuals with agency, voice, and responsibility within Worcester’s civic landscape.

- Evaluate and expand potential career pathways informed by their board service experience.

- Build and leverage professional networks with nonprofit leaders and community partners.

Play a role in Worcester State’s impact as a public institution dedicated to preparing engaged citizens.

In an effort to ensure equitable access and recognize this professional accomplishment, the Binienda Center is proud to provide selected students with a $4,000 award for their participation in this program.

- 8-week summer program: approximately 12 hours/week (May - July 2026)

(Note: We will tailor to selected students’ availability and offer hybrid & asynchronous components)

- Bi-monthly sessions + ongoing board membership 3-4 hours/week

- Collaborative poster / conference presentation

- WSU undergraduate students from any major or minor are welcome to apply.

-Students need to be enrolled in WSU classes during the 2027 academic year.

Following acceptance, you will participate in guided conversations with Binienda Center staff to determine the most appropriate board placement. We will support you in making a meaningful match based on your interests, strengths, academic background, and professional goals alongside community needs. Before beginning with your organization, you will also participate in a board interview.

Students and community partners will complete pre- and post-program assessments, and regular check-ins to guide our collective growth.

March 2, 2026: Applications open
April 17, 2026: Applications due
May 1, 2026: Notification emails sent
May 18, 2026: Summer intensive begins
June 1, 2026: Board matches made
Start of Academic Year: Students begin formal board service
September 2026–May 2027: Board service + bi-monthly cohort reflection