Koch Associate Program
About the Program
Empowering the next generation of leaders to drive social change through policy.
The Koch Associate Program empowers early to mid-career professionals with the principles and knowledge to be effective policy leaders and help advance the ideals of individual liberty and limited government.
Whether you focus on research, fundraising, program management, communications, or anything else needed to drive effective policy change, the Koch Associate Program will give you the tools and frameworks you need to make a long-term difference on the issues that matter most to you and millions of Americans.
Important Program Dates
Summit Dates
What Makes Our Program Unique
The Koch Associate Program experience is rooted in the idea that the most effective social change requires three things:
- Enduring principles: We call them the Principles of Empowerment, which transform people’s lives and society as a whole. Click here to learn more about some of our core principles, which are derived from many classical liberal ideals.
- Empowered individuals: Every person has a gift, and progress both as a society and an organization comes when we empower everyone to find their gifts and use them to help others improve their lives.
- Comprehensive solutions: A free society is built on key institutions that create conditions of empowerment for everyone. But today, these institutions — government, education, communities, and business — instead create barriers that prevent people from realizing their full potential. Tackling the root causes of America’s biggest problems requires transforming these institutions so that they consistently empower people from the bottom up, rather than controlling people from the top down. Learn more about Stand Together’s vision.
The Curriculum
The Koch Associate Program curriculum encourages you to uncover and leverage your talents while prompting you to consider how policy can expand or limit the freedom of individuals in society to do the same.
Over the course of 10 months of curriculum and programming, you will:
- Attend multiple in-person summits hosted by Stand Together Fellowships in Arlington, Virginia, where programming includes reading discussions, workshops, guest speakers, and more.
- Hear from and engage with seasoned policy professionals from the Stand Together community and our extensive network of partner organizations and program alumni to deepen your knowledge of how to drive principled policy change.
- Participate in weekly online programming each Wednesday that supplements and builds on concepts explored during the in-person summits.
- Connect with mentors and advisers to help you navigate the program and apply what you’re learning to your work.
- Gain experience in applying proven principles to help solve society’s problems and work to inspire movements that bring everyone closer to a life of meaning and mutual benefit.
In addition to ongoing professional development, networking, and mentorship opportunities, you’ll apply what you’ve learned to a capstone project that aligns with your skills and interests.
Impact Stories
Our Partners
We invite you to learn more about some of our partners below! This is not a comprehensive list of all partners, which are well-known for their entrepreneurial problem-solving in areas like Education, Health Care, Economic Progress, Criminal Justice, Immigration, Free Speech & Peace, and Foreign Policy. As partners’ talent needs vary from season to season, they post unique opportunities in our job portal every program iteration. Typically, there are both remote and in-person roles ranging from policy, communications, fundraising, events, law, project/program management, and more. If you are an organization interested in partnering with our education programs, please contact Andrew Delmege, Director of Partnerships.
Additional Resources
Application Process
Learn more about what to expect in the application process.
FAQs
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