Neighborhood Leadership Fellows Southeast-Bootheel Region
August 13 - October 25, 2025
APPLY NOW
Click the 'Application' tab at the top for further information.
Applications due July 3
Click the 'Application' tab at the top for further information.
Applications due July 3
Building on seven years of success in the St. Louis region, Neighborhood Leadership Fellows (NLF) is excited to expand into Missouri’s Southeast-Bootheel region to support more residents in leading change and strengthening their communities. The mission of NLF is to increase and amplify the voices of Missouri residents at civic decision-making tables in order to produce stronger regional policies for neighborhoods.
Eligibility & Focus Areas
NLF's expansion is rooted in data-driven indicators tied to social determinants of health— unemployment, poverty, high school graduation, housing cost burden, violent crime, and life expectancy factors. NLF will select residents who live in or serve—either professionally or as volunteers—within the following zip codes that have poorer indicators relative to the state of Missouri in four of the seven indicators. If you live or work/volunteer in the following counties, we invite you to apply: Scott, Dunklin, New Madrid, Pemiscot, Butler, and Stoddard counties.
What to Expect
NLF is a transformative leadership experience designed for community leaders who are ready to deepen their civic impact. Click here to learn more about NLF program outcomes.
The Southeast-Bootheel program will launch a 6-session pilot from August 13th - October 25, 2025.
Participants will receive hands-on training focused on:
- Educational Workshops on policies, new research and innovation that promote neighborhood development (housing, education, economic development, public safety)
- Tactical Trainings on communication, followability, organizing
- Positional Power Trainings for boards, commissions, committees, and public office
- Collaborative Learning through dialogue, discussion, and presentations among fellows and experts
- Mentoring and Networking with other civic leaders and peers
Selected fellows will receive a stipend and earn the UMSL Chancellor’s Certificate in Civic Leadership.
Neighborhood Leadership Fellows is an advanced leadership training program of UMSL & MU Extension . Neighborhood Leadership Fellows is generously supported by Missouri Foundation for Health.
For questions, contact Taylor Clark at taylor.clark@missouri.edu.
If you are interested in NLF but do not reside or work/volunteer in the applicable zip codes for the NLF Southeast-Bootheel or NLF St. Louis programs, we welcome your registration for Neighborhood Leadership Academy, our flagship leadership program for the entire Missouri region.
The NLF Southeast-Bootheel 2025 program will hold 6 sessions from August 13 - October 25. Please see dates below.
We understand that fellows may be employed while applying for the NLF program. If you are employed during the sessions for NLF, please contact your employer and discuss participation in the program before committing to the program.
Neighborhood Leadership Fellows expects a high level of commitment to program sessions in order to establish a successful foundational knowledge of learning outcomes. Participants should expect to spend 8 hours a month in addition to scheduled sessions, attending community events, and completing homework assignments.
Schedule for 2025 NLF Southeast-Bootheel
Sessions will be held in-person (location TBD) from 12:00 - 5:00 pm on the following dates:
- Wednesday, August 13: Introduction and Overview / History of the Region
- Wednesday, August 27: Strengths-Based Leadership / Team Building
- Wednesday, September 3: Project Focused Strategic Doing / Policy Overview
- Wednesday, September 24: Understanding and Using Data / Decision Making
- Wednesday, October 8: Advocacy and Campaigns / Communication
- Saturday, October 25: Group Presentations & Graduation
Click here to learn more about NLF program outcomes.
The NLF Southeast-Bootheel program is designed for individuals residing or working/volunteering in the following counties: Scott, Dunklin, New Madrid, Pemiscot, Butler, and Stoddard.
Click here to apply by July 3, 11:59 pm.
Applicants will be informed of whether they qualify for an interview in the 2nd week of July.
If you have any questions regarding the NLF Southeast-Bootheel program or application process, please contact Taylor Clark at taylor.clark@missouri.edu.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What are some of the outcomes of the Neighborhood Leadership Fellows program?
Fellows will gain the skills, knowledge, and relationships to lead civically—developing personalized civic leadership plans, collaborating to address regional challenges, serving on boards or commissions, and advancing initiatives that drive meaningful, lasting change in the region. Click here to learn more about NLF learning outcomes. - Am I required to attend the five Wednesday sessions and one Saturday session for the Neighborhood Leadership Program?
Yes. Attendance is important and NLF expects a high level of commitment to program sessions in order to establish a successful foundational knowledge of learning outcomes. Any issues with program sessions should be communicated to Taylor Clark, Program Facilitator, as early as the interview process. - Are there additional time commitments I should consider beyond Wednesday & Saturday sessions?
Yes. Participants should expect to spend 8 hours a month, in addition to scheduled sessions, attending community events, and homework assignments. - Is there a registration fee for the Neighborhood Leadership Fellows program?
No. Neighborhood Leadership Fellows participants will receive an UMSL Chancellors Certificate and a stipend to participate in the program. This is another reason why attendance is crucial to program guidelines and expectations. The schedule will be updated consistently when community events are announced and is subject to change. - Does Creating Whole Communities offer another leadership program for regions outside of zip codes required by the NLF Southeast Bootheel program?
Yes. If you are a St. Louis resident, consider applying for the NLF St. Louis program in the fall. Creating Whole Communities also conducts community leadership training through Neighborhood Leadership Academy. The NLA is a statewide program that provides hands-on leadership training that emphasizes community building principles and strategies, project planning, organizational leadership and management practices, and personal leadership skills. If you would like to be notified of the NLA program in the future (applications go live in the summer; programming begins each fall), please contact Tasnim Haq at tfhktb@umsl.edu. - I have applied to the program. When will I receive notification for my interview?
Due to a very high application rate for the Neighborhood Leadership Program, only a limited number of interviews will be held and qualifications will be based off of completed applications and references. Those selected for an interview will be contacted through email.