By Michelle Bloom-Lugo, Director of Programs for the Center for Public Leadership
The research centers at Harvard Kennedy School are a great resource for students to get involved with real-world policy issues. The mission of the Center for Public Leadership is to inspire and enhance the capacity for principled, effective public leadership in government, politics, civil society, and business.
Director of Programs for the Center for Public Leadership (CPL) Michelle Bloom-Lugo discusses the various ways incoming students can engage with the center's initiatives and opportunities.
What work does the Center for Public Leadership focus on?
CPL helps shape principled, effective public leaders who can navigate complex challenges across sectors.
We do this by grounding our work in public leadership theory and continually testing and improving it through practice. Through immersive, experiential learning, including cohort sessions, retreats, field experiences, and special programming, students can practice new leadership approaches, receive constructive feedback, and reflect and connect with peers. We are deeply committed to building community, and CPL brings together cohorts of students with diverse academic and career backgrounds. Over the course of their time at Harvard, students support and challenge one another and leave Cambridge after graduation with a lifelong network.
CPL also welcomes practitioners and global leaders. The Center regularly hosts individuals actively working in the front lines of public service, from local organizers to heads of state, creating opportunities for students to engage with leaders in honest, practice-focused conversations.
In parallel, our faculty lead cutting-edge, high-impact research and teaching on leadership, exploring what it means to lead effectively and ethically in a world marked by polarization, inequity, and rapid change.
Across all this work, our goal remains the same: to help students grow as leaders who can align values with action and translate those values into impact that better serves public, common good.
What resources does CPL provide to students?
CPL offers a wide range of resources that extend learning well beyond the classroom.
Our fellowships combine financial aid support with a strong sense of community and a clear, intentional leadership curriculum. Fellows participate in seminars, retreats, student-led events, and gain access to networks of alumni and practitioners who remain connected long after graduation.
The Center also runs leadership programming open to students outside of CPL, across HKS, and, in some cases, other Harvard graduate schools. These programs take the form of leadership intensives, workshops, and/or ongoing conversations focused on specific leadership challenges. Additionally, students regularly engage with global leaders and practitioners who visit CPL to share real, candid leadership lessons.
CPL also supports student-led initiatives. Students are encouraged to bring forward ideas for events, projects, and conversations to explore leadership in new, powerful ways. We then support and partner with them to bring those ideas to life.
Here at CPL, we believe deeply in the power of mentorship. Through CPL faculty, staff, and alumni, mentorship and advising are central to our mission. We want to help students connect their leadership questions to concrete decisions about courses, careers, and impact.
“Through CPL faculty, staff, and alumni, mentorship and advising are central to our mission. We want to help students connect their leadership questions to concrete decisions about courses, careers, and impact.”
How can students get involved with CPL at HKS?
There are several ways for students to engage with CPL.
One option is to apply to a CPL fellowship. Each fellowship has its own mission, community, and selection process, so students can find a program that aligns with their values and interests. If you’re not part of a fellowship, you can participate in leadership intensives and workshops that are open to the broader Harvard graduate student community.
HKS students are encouraged to get involved by applying to, organizing, and attending CPL-supported events and conferences. These gatherings are a great opportunity to connect with peers, learn from practitioners in the field, and try out new ideas in front of a supportive audience.
Day to day, students connect with CPL by engaging with our faculty, staff, and fellows, whether it be through formal advising sessions, office hours, or informal conversations in the CPL suite.
If you are curious about leadership, eager to grow and learn, and committed to principled, effective, public leadership, there is a place for you in the CPL community. We look forward to meeting you, hearing your story, and learning alongside you.
We hope you'll stay connected to our work by subscribing to the CPL Newsletter and following us on LinkedIn and Instagram.
What is your role with the Center?
I serve as the director of CPL programs, where I oversee a portfolio of fellowship and student programs run by a team of program managers. In practice, I lead co-curricular leadership programming that complements what our students are learning in the classroom. This spans from intensive workshops and retreats to ongoing reflective practice groups. Overseeing nine fellowship cohorts, I ensure that more than 100 fellows are well-supported as they navigate both their academic journey and their leadership development.
Collaboration is central to the work of the CPL Programs team. We partner closely with CPL faculty, staff, and practitioners to shape learning experiences that feel both challenging and practical. Whether it’s advising on a new opportunity, talking through a challenging team dynamic, or helping a student think through their path after Harvard, I view my, and my team’s, role as creating structures and spaces where students can stretch, experiment, and lead with purpose.
Main image courtesy of Mari Benavides
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