What is the Franklin Fellows Program?
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Franklin Fellows meet with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in October. The Secretary heard about the contributions of Fellows, including service in Iraq. Pictured from left to right are: (back row) Senior Advisor for Fellows Bill Pope, Franklin Fellows Program Intern Heather Zurek, Fellows Lorraine Hawley, Susan D. Loftis, Kim Tingley, Dr. Jeffrey Stacey, Timothy Ford, Dr. James Small, Karen Walker (front row) Fellows Steven Koltai, Dr. James Girard, Lisa Gambone, Secretary Clinton, Fellows Dr. Nisha Garg, Frederick Marrazzo, and Dr. R. Quinn Mecham. |
President Obama has stated that "government does not have all the answers, and…public officials need to draw on what citizens know." Therefore, he directed the Administration "to find new ways of tapping the knowledge and experience of ordinary Americans – scientists and civic leaders, educators and entrepreneurs – because the way to solve the problems of our time…is by involving the American people in shaping the policies that affect their lives."
The Franklin Fellows Program is a unique and innovative executive development vehicle via which the government taps citizens’ knowledge and which enables approved organizations to promote public service by their professionals. Sponsored and self-nominated Franklin Fellows work on global issues of vital importance to the United States, such as the environment; counterterrorism; human rights; consular matters; political-military affairs; avian influenza , HIV/AIDS and other trans-national diseases; trade, energy and financial policy; and many others. Franklin Fellows may work with other government entities, such as the White House, Congress, Defense, Homeland Security, Energy and other Executive Branch departments. They will return to their home organizations and communities with a much-enhanced knowledge of foreign policy issues and government operations and culture. Particularly if your organization has an international focus or does business abroad, the Franklin Fellows Program is an ideal way to position your organization to excel.
