CAUSE Leadership Academy (CLA)

Founded in 1991, CLA has been cultivating a pipeline of leaders dedicated to public service and API community advocacy. Since then, over 300 CLA graduates have gone on to leadership positions on their campuses, run for political office, and become leaders who shape policy through their work in politics, business, and nonprofits.

Program goals

By the end of the program, interns will have:

• Explored civic leadership career paths

• Developed professional experience and skills to be effective in political advocacy and campaign support

• Connected with leaders in the CAUSE network

• Deepened their understanding of issues that impact the API community

PROGRAM COMPONENTS

Through CLA, interns gain a deeper understanding of the civic issues facing the API community in California, explore civic engagement career paths, and connect to a network of API advocates. These goals are achieved through the four major components of the program:

CIVIC LEADERSHIP WORKSHOPS

Throughout the program, CAUSE will provide a number of training sessions meant to provide opportunities to learn and practice leadership skills while expanding an understanding of civic engagement.

HOST OFFICE PLACEMENT

Each intern will be placed in either a government office or a civic engagement focused non-profit host office in Southern California. Interns will learn through professional experience for three (3) days a week.

CIVIC ENGAGEMENT PROJECT — Cause mock campaign

With a combination of learning and practice, interns will have the opportunity to learn about the different roles of a campaign and put it into practice through a mock campaign. In the past, participants have created campaigns for California Assembly District 49 in the West San Gabriel Valley.  This project includes building out a campaign’s budget and strategy, creating a policy platform, preparing for endorsement panels, fundraising, and speaking to district residents.

CAPITOL SUMMIT

Interns will travel to the State Capitol and engage with elected officials and legislative staff who advocate for API communities. The focus of this experience will be to learn about the various career opportunities in government and meet the API leaders who are currently working there.