The Institute for Equity-Centered Leadership (formerly PSFP)

Our Mission To cultivate future leaders with knowledge, skills, and a commitment to advance health and social equity through community-informed service with marginalized peoples. Our Vision We envision a society where all people have equitable access to the resources needed to reach their highest potential. About Our Equity Fellowship Our Equity Fellowship is a 16-month leadership training program that prepares future leaders in both for-profit and non-profit arenas to address the health and human service needs of at-risk communities and underserved populations. We utilize a direct service leadership model. This leadership model incorporates an understanding of the social determinants of health and social justice issues that affect health outcomes for our community’s most vulnerable people, with a strong focus on social justice and environmental health issues. Graduate students, from any discipline, are eligible to apply from any university in the Greater Pittsburgh Area. We take a health-in-all-things approach to wellness and acknowledges that wellbeing is tied to far more than an individual’s medical health. We’ve hosted students from medicine, physical therapy, nursing, psychology, social work, criminal justice, law, dentistry, business, public health, food studies, creative writing, sustainability and environmental studies, international studies, education, and other disciplines. These interdisciplinary cohorts allow Fellows to learn from and lean on the expertise of their fellow Fellows, both in their own leadership development and in the delivery of their direct service project. Each Fellow also works with a team of professional mentors to deliver their direct service project to the community. Fellows complete our Equity Fellowship with core competencies that prepare them to work with and advocate for marginalized people in both non-profit and for-profit careers.