As many as 248 candidates applied to the new edition of the “PAFF Leaders” Program. The School for Leaders Foundation, the Program Manager, invited 114 people to the next stage of the recruitment process. The participants in the Program’s twelfth edition were selected following the interviews conducted by the program team and the Council. The interviews were devoted to the candidates’ hitherto activities, visions of their development, and expectations of their roles in their communities. They were also asked how the Program could help them pursue their objectives.

‘We have learned during these interviews that applicants to this program are brilliant people, well embedded in their communities, and experienced. Quite often they already have achievements that serve well their local communities and really improve the quality of life of the residents’, says Mirosław Czyżewski, PAFF Program Officer.

The objective of the “PAFF Leaders” Program, implemented by the School for Leaders Foundation, is to support the development of skills and qualifications of individuals working for the benefit of their communities. This is achieved mainly through the use of the tutorial method which involves the regular cooperation of an experienced tutor with a local leader. The program is addressed to active participants of local projects financed by various programs of the Polish-American Freedom Foundation: “Act Locally”, “Equal Opportunities”, “English Teaching”, “Region in Transition” (RITA), “PAFF Local Partnerships” and the “Library Development Program”.

The core part of the program is a twelve-month cooperation between a leader and a tutor coupled with a series of training sessions adapted to the participants’ needs and priorities, which primarily focuses on interpersonal development planning, team building, managing an organization, communication, community involvement and building local partnerships. The skills acquired in the program help leaders undertake activities benefiting their local communities.

As a result of the former eleven editions of the program, 541 local leaders from all over Poland improved their qualifications and a nationwide active network was established. Also, 65 participants have become qualified experts in tutoring method.

‘We would like to thank PAFF Programs Managers for helping our Partner promote the program in their environments. We also thank the Program Council members for their involvement in the selection process, and the School for Leaders Foundation for professional and efficient implementation of the recruitment for the next program edition,’ Mirosław Czyżewski says. ‘We would also like to congratulate new participants and we hope that “PAFF Leaders” will let them achieve their objectives and be the source of their satisfaction.