Professional Education Scholarships

Professional Education Scholarships help defray registration or tuition expenses for courses and trainings outside of the Mel King Institute for MACDC member community development staff and board members. 

The Mel King Institute for Community Building recognizes the importance of supporting the professional development of our field and contributing to the growth of individual practitioners, volunteer board members, as well as organizations.

Eligibility

  • To apply, candidates must be a full member of MACDC or a board member for a member CDC. 
  • Scholarships will be offered from $150 to $500. Scholarships cannot be more than 75% of cost to attend. 
  • Individual participants may only receive one scholarship per fiscal year (July-June). 
  • Each member organization is limited to no more than three scholarships per year. 
  • The course or training selected is centered on skill building and training in community development as opposed to general nonprofit management. 

Application process

To apply, candidates must complete a Professional Education Scholarship Application, including a brief statement on how this course or training will enhance their work. The completed application, cover letter and letter of support should be submitted to the Mel King Institute for Community Building via email or fax by the quarterly deadline.

Approval and Notification Process

Once the application and all required attachments are returned, the Mel King Institute Director will review the submission. Scholarships will be awarded on a rolling basis. Candidates will be notified via email within 5-7 days of their submission.

Scholarship Criteria

  • All areas of the application are completed, including the letter of support from the supervisor, executive director or board president  
  • The applicant has demonstrated the value of the course and how it will benefit the applicant professionally 
  • Course or training content is focused on community development  
  • Course is not an offering of the Mel King Institute for Community Building 

To begin, download the Professional Education Scholarship Application: 

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certificate cohort group

2023 Certificate Cohort

About the Certificate Program

The Mel King Institute Certificate offers a new way to engage with our programming through a more comprehensive experience culminating in a credential. By participating in existing MKI courses and workshops, participants are provided an overview of the basic skills, knowledge, and values that underlie the work of community development in Massachusetts. Graduates will be equipped with an understanding to think broadly about the needs of communities, the historic and current racism that perpetuates inequalities and the tool to address community needs through analogizing data, engaging residents, economic development, infrastructure development and more. All trainings are practitioner designed and led, and oriented towards the needs and priorities of communities.

The Course Structure

Participants in the Certificate program will have eighteen months to participate in 9 trainings

Core Courses

  • Intro to Community Economic Development
  • Census Data
  • Undoing Racism or Mel King Institute approved Racial Equity Training

One training from 4 Learning Areas.

Two elective courses of the participants choosing.

The Cohort: As a part of the certificate program, you will be a part of a cohort that meets quarterly. This will be an opportunity to network and learn from other community development professionals through conversations largely driven by your interests.  

Tuition: $100, plus the MACDC rate for each training (or student/intern rate, if applicable).

Applications are open. Please apply to join the program at this LINK. The application will be open until February 15, 2024.

Please reach out to Amanda Kahan, the MKI Program Coordinator at amandak@macdc.org if you have any questions about the program. 


Congratulations to our Graduates!

  • Breyana Ellis
  • Colleen Fitzpatrick, Fenway CDC
  • Gina Plata, Just a Start
  • Stacy Carruth, CHNA 17
  • Rita Shah, Housing Corp of Arlington
  • Dawn Graham, MassMutual
  • Cherline Gene, Massachusetts Department of Public Health
  • Alexander Nadel, Mass Senior Action Council
  • Melinda Ward, Peabody Properties
  • Seth Jenkins, Housing Corp of Arlington
  • LaQuisa Burke, MHP
  • Katherine Martinez, MACDC
  • Helen Murphy, The Boston Foundation
  • Hannah Carrillo, City of Somerville
  • Ashley Hall, Greater Lawrence Family Health Center
  • Eldric Abreu, WHALE
  • Abby Jamiel, 
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instructor speaks to group

Faculty

Mel King Institute instructors are academic, consultant, and practitioner experts who provide participants with unique trainings tailored to the learning needs of community organization professions facing local challenges. They range from professors, to senior staff at government agencies, to national professional trainers, to leading Executive Directors, to private sector specialists.  Faculty craft and deliver trainings, and enriching courses with their firsthand experience and knowledge of current trends and innovations.

See our past instructors.

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LISC americorps

LISC Americorps Partnership

The Mel King Institute partners with LISC Boston to provide MKI training courses to the LISC AmeriCorps program.

LISC AmeriCorps members participate in a series of core courses during their tenure with the AmeriCorps program.  These flagship MKI trainings include:

Along with graduation from the LISC AmeriCorps program, service members also earn a certificate for completion of the Mel King Institute trainings.  These members may also take advantage of the discounted student/Americorps/intern rate for all other MKI trainings. Many graduates of the LISC AmeriCorps program go on to participate in the MKI Certificate Cohort program, at a discounted rate. You can learn more about the LISC Americorps program HERE.

  • Intro to Community Economic Development
  • Intro to Housing Development
  • Be A Group Facilitation Pro in an Age of Meetings
  • Budgeting Basics for Program Staff
  • Community Engagement
  • Careers in Community Development
  • Training Elective of Choice