**Please note: WEPOWER has pushed Fall 2022 Chisholm's Chair Fellowhip to February 2023. Please scroll down for more details.

Who is WEPOWER? 

WEPOWER is a community of members who work together to address systemic injustice at its root. We design the solutions that we know will support our well-being. We build wealth that can resource the dreams of our families and the transformation of the communities we call home.

We believe that change starts with one person and can grow into a powerful force for good. Our movement requires the leadership of people like you, who are called by their passion for justice, to join us in the fight to create better systems that protect and nurture the people most marginalized in our neighborhoods. Together, our community creates systems that work for everyone in St. Louis.

What is Chisholm's Chair?

The Chisholm's Chair Fellowship (CCF) is an initiative designed to support Black and Latinx women along their public leadership development journey as they explore and consider pursuing  publicly elected and appointed office  in the Greater St. Louis region.  

The Fellowship  supports a cohort of 15 Fellows over the course of four months. Throughout this time, Fellows will access monthly  training sessions, guest experts, connections to vendors and consultants, community-building experiences, peer coaching groups, and healing sessions. 

As a collective, we begin our journey by going inward and taking stock of our individual strengths and areas for growth. We will reach out to our peers, colleagues, friends, and family to provide us with the gift of feedback as we kick-off a 360 degree review process that will serve as the baseline for how we'd like to grow throughout the Fellowship. Additionally, we'll get clearer about the visions of change we have for ourselves and the region as we engage in a visioning exercise that centers our story of self. From there, we'll take a deeper dive into the leadership opportunities that will allow us to actualize the visions we've built together. 

Next, we'll deepen our relationships with one another as we begin working in peer coaching groups to further refine our stories of self and messaging while also learning best practices for connecting with and listening to our beloved community. 

Finally, we'll conclude the Fellowship with an immersive, bootcamp style experience that simulates the realities of an electoral campaign, equipping Fellows with the nuts and bolts of how to put a well thought-out, well resources  campaign together from beginning to end. 

Each of us will leave the Fellowship with a Public Leadership Development Plan and a Campaign Plan. 

You can learn more about the Fellowship by checking out our webpage or signing up for a conversation with Charli Cooksey, WEPOWER's executive director.

The Commitment 

• 4 weekend sessions, in-person, from September-December 2022. Each weekend, programming lasts a total of 16 hours over three days.

  • Module One: February 2023

    • Friday, February 3, 5-9pm 

    • Saturday, February 4, 9am-5pm

    • Sunday, February 5, 1-6pm

  • Module Two: March 2023

    • Friday, March 3, 6-9pm 

    • Saturday, March 4, 9am-5pm

    • Sunday, March 5, 1-6pm

  • Module Three: April 2023

    • Friday, April 7, 6-9pm 

    • Saturday, April 8, 9am-5pm

    • Sunday, April 9, 1-6pm

  • Module Four: May

    • Friday, May 5, 6-9pm 

    • Saturday, May 6, 9am-5pm

    • Sunday, May 7, 1-6pm

Who Should Apply?

Identity + Qualifications 

• You self-identify as Black/African-American and/or Hispanic/Latinx.

• You self-identify as a woman.

• You will be at least 18 years of age or older by the start of the cohort. 

• You are a resident of the City of St. Louis, East St. Louis, or St. Louis County. 

Mindsets, Beliefs + Skills 

• Vision + Values. You “get it.” Chisholm's Chair is for women who understand that the way things are, isn't okay. To borrow the words of Fannie Lou Hamer, “you're sick and tired of being sick and tired”. You see that the systems that are supposed to make our lives better are often hurting the most vulnerable people in our communities. And you want to, have to, do something about it! 

• Movement. You are deeply rooted to your community or the St. Louis region at large, demonstrated by active involvement/participation in community groups, civic organizations, school networks, religious groups, etc. 

• Identity Development + Commitment to Equity. You are committed to equity and  comfortable talking about race, class, gender and its various intersections with a variety of stakeholders. 

• Coachable. You recognize that you're not perfect and welcome constructive feedback to help you flourish. 

• Story of…  You, like all of us, have a story to share. You've thought about your story, how you've gotten to where you are and are ready to engage others, using your story to build collective power in the pursuit of transformative change.

A Note from the WEPOWER Team regarding the push back from Fall 2022 to Spring 2023

We have an unprecedented opportunity to win BIG changes for our communities over the next several months including securing millions of dollars for early childhood educators and improving the economic power and wealth of Black and Latinx communities across the region. As a result, we are directing our energy to these opportunities for the rest of the year and push this next Power Building Academy to February - May 2023 (instead of October-December 2022). Can't wait to build with you! We still outside for our babies, communities, and futures!