JPKF’s Public Policy Fellowship prepares emerging leaders to create change for the IDD community at the federal and state level. Past Fellows have worked alongside Senators and Members of Congress on key IDD policy including the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and the Developmental Disabilities Services and Bill of Rights Act. Former Fellows hold senior leadership roles in the nonprofit and private sectors and in the federal government, including in the White House, the U.S. Senate, the Department of Education, and the Department of Labor.
Executive Director, Association of University Centers on Disabilities (Retired)
President, Inclusion International
Former Deputy Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of Education
CEO, and Co-Founder, Center for
Inclusive Policy
Principal, Health Management Associates
Newsmakers Host, WisconsinEye Public Affairs Network
White House Disability Policy Director
Disability Policy Director, Office of U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA)
Executive Director,
Disability Rights Oregon
Senior Policy Advisor, U.S. Department of Labor
Disability Policy Engagement Director, Anthem, Inc.
Director of the Office of Special Education Programs, U.S. Department of Education
Author, IDD community member,
and IDD leader and advocate
Research Associate Professor,
University of New Hampshire
Attorney, Disability Law Center
Assistant Professor, University of Wisconsin
Government of the District of Columbia Department on Disability Services
Summary:
The Fellowship is a one-year, full-time, intensive immersion experience in federal public policy in Washington, D.C. The program includes a stipend and modest relocation expenses. Fellows must be prepared to live in the Washington, D.C. area and devote themselves full-time to the Fellowship.
Purpose:
To prepare emerging leaders to assume leadership roles in the public policy arena at the federal and/or state levels.
Who should apply:
The successful applicant’s background will include distinguished involvement in efforts to improve the lives of persons with intellectual and other developmental disabilities at the regional, state, or national level.
After their year in Washington, it is expected that former Kennedy Fellows will make significant contributions to policy and program development in their home state or another state, or continue to advance public policy on the national level.