NEW Leadership® at Saint Mary's College of California
What does politics mean in practice?
What is public service about?
The NEW (New Education for Women's) Leadership program addresses those questions, teaching undergraduate women from across the Bay Area how to engage in politics, advocacy, and public service. Started at Rutgers University, NEW Leadership came to California for the first time in 2024. The Women's and Gender Studies at Saint Mary's College hosted the first NEW Leadership Summer Institute in the state on June 21–28, 2024.
Applications for the 2025 institute will open in Spring, 2025 and will be reviewed in the order received. Stay tuned for the opening of applications.
Twenty students from community colleges and four-year universities from California will be admitted. They will spend one week in Moraga learning about the pathways to political engagement, careers in government, and public service. Students will meet California elected officials and women working "behind the scenes" at the municipal, county, and state levels. They will also interact with women leading social and political movements in the Bay Area and share meals and evenings with leaders-in-residence experienced in California politics.
The Institute is hands-on. Students will develop a project that they will test in the field; attend lectures and workshops on topics ranging from the workings of state politics to how to run a political campaign; participate in professionalization sessions to learn the skills necessary to enter the public sphere and succeed; and travel to Sacramento for government day. By the end of the Institute, students will have built a community with a network of peers, advisors, and contacts that they can rely on as they continue their education, pursue their careers, and maybe run for office one day!
Leaders in Residence
Attorney and novelist Veronica Gutierrez
Attorney Crystal Riggins
Pomona City Council Member Nora Garcia
Government Day in Sacramento
New Leadership FAQ
NEW Leadership® Saint Mary’s is open to undergraduate students enrolled in any California college or university and California residents enrolled in out-of-state schools. Rising juniors, seniors, and spring semester graduates at 4-year institutions and students at 2-year institutions in sophomore year are eligible to apply. Women of color, LGBTQ women and nonbinary students, and nontraditional college students are especially encouraged to apply. NEW Leadership® is committed to including students from diverse socioeconomic, ethnic, racial, and educational backgrounds.
Demonstrated leadership experience on campus or in local community and a commitment to learning more about politics and civic engagement are primary considerations. NEW Leadership looks for participants who will bring a diversity of backgrounds, experiences, and knowledge to the group and who are open to learning from others.
No. There is no specific academic profile for the successful NEW Leadership® participant. Students from all academic backgrounds are needed to advocate for their communities and run for office in the future.
The program will be hosted at Saint Mary's College, in Moraga, California in June 2025, with specific days TBA. Participants will live on campus for the duration of the Institute and participate in all scheduled activities.
NEW Leadership® Saint Mary’s is a full-time program which requires students to participate in all sessions, classes, workshops, field trips, and community meals. The days are long, but they have breaks throughout. The week does go very fast!
There is no direct cost to students. Colleges and universities asked to contribute a $500 program registration fee per student to defray expenses. Room, board, and local transportation are included. Applicants are required to provide contact information for a faculty or staff member at their college who will agree to assist them in obtaining registration funds. However, no student will be turned away because their college or university cannot pay the fee.
Each college and university is different, but officials such as the Deans of Humanities or Liberal Arts, directors of intercultural centers, and advisors for students of color and others might have access to special funds for students to attend summer institutes, conferences, or internships. They would be the most appropriate source of funding for the NEW Leadership Institute registration fee. Students pay nothing themselves and may attend even if their institutions do not provide any funding.
Contact Us
Professor Myrna Santiago
msantiag@stmarys-ca.edu
Professor María Luisa Ruiz
mlruiz@stmarys-ca.edu
Professor Zahra Ahmed
zga1@stmarys-ca.edu