How to Apply
Applications for the LWC Class of 2025 - #38 are closed. The application for the LWC Class of 2026 - #39 will open February 3, 2025. If you would like to be reminded of the application open date, please email info@leadershipwashingtoncounty.org.
Application Overview
Leadership Washington County (LWC) seeks current and potential community and business leaders for participation in the program. Nominations are sought from all segments of the community and individuals are encouraged to nominate themselves. The LWC Program Committee and Board of Directors chooses class members from applications and in person interviews. The program accepts a limited number of participants and not all applicants are accepted. If not accepted, applicants are urged to reapply the following year.
The LWC program begins with a mandatory two day retreat in September and continues with a series of monthly day long sessions beginning in October and concluding in May. The curriculum features prominent speakers who address specific issues concerning Washington County, with topics that include the history of the county and its people, business and economic development, local and state government, politics and the decision making process, health and human services, education, and arts and culture. The program year ends with a Closing Retreat with an optional overnight stay.
ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS: To accomplish the objectives of the program, the full participation of each individual is required. Class members must be able to comply with the retreat and monthly attendance requirements free from personal and professional responsibilities. Attendance at the Opening Retreat, the Closing Retreat and Human Services Day are mandatory, and class members may only miss one full day or two half day sessions of a program day. Each class member will be part of a small team of classmates planning a program day chosen at the Opening Retreat. Planning the program day will require an additional time commitment to meet with teammates outside of program days. Class members unable to meet the attendance requirements this year are asked to consider applying in a future program year.
Who Should Apply
The ideal candidate for the LWC program either lives and/or works in Washington County, MD. Interested candidates should closely examine the program dates and ensure that you can attend the Opening and Closing Retreats and Human Services Day, which are mandatory, and only miss one program day. For those who decide to apply, you are committing to being present, open minded, willing to learn, and engaging with your classmates. The mission of the LWC program is to educate participants about the challenges and opportunities facing Washington County, MD as well as provide access to key leaders and organizations in order to discover ways to actively engage in our communities by volunteering, serving on non-profit boards, and running for elected office.
LWC does not teach leadership “skills,” but instead examines a variety of topics through presentations, tours, experiential activities, and lively discussion. If you are called to invest your time and expertise for the future of our county’s communities and want to be more than a keyboard warrior pointing out the negative, the opportunity to participate in LWC is for you. Taking part and taking the lead is the path to taking pride in all Washington County, MD has to offer.
LWC Class of 2026 - #39
Retreats & Program Days
September 24 & 25: Opening Retreat*
(all day Wednesday 9/24, overnight, and all day Thursday 9/25 with a departure time of 5pm)
October 10: Human Services*
November 7: Education
December 5: Local Government
January 22: State Government
February 6: Health
March 6: Board Governance
April 10: Economic & Workforce Development
May 8: Arts & Culture
May 28: Closing Retreat*
*The Opening & Closing Retreat and Human Services Day require mandatory attendance.
Tuition
Tuition for the 2025-2026 program year is $3,500 and is non-refundable.
Scholarships
Eligibility for scholarship funds depends upon acceptance into the LWC program. Scholarships do not fund 100% of tuition. The balance of the tuition will be the responsibility of the organization and/or the applicant. In addition to the LWC application, please provide the following information:
Narrative expressing financial need (requested within the application form).
Letter of recommendation to be emailed to Tara@leadershipwashingtoncounty.org by 3/28/2025
Additional documentation or information may be requested by the LWC Board of Directors in order to consider scholarship requests. Additionally, all LWC class members will be asked to sell raffle tickets as part of LWC’s Get Out of Town fundraiser. The proceeds from the fundraiser help support scholarships. Scholarship recipients are required to sell (or buy) their Get Out of Town Raffle tickets as part of accepting a scholarship from LWC.
Small Business & Non-Profit scholarships are awarded to the organization, not the class member. If the class member leaves the employ of the organization prior to July 31, the organization may request a substitution in accordance with Leadership Washington County’s Substitution Policy (available upon request). If the class member leaves the employ of the organization after July 31, but before the class retreat, the organization may defer any tuition paid to the next program year when a new candidate may be considered or forfeit any tuition paid. The scholarship awarded to the organization shall be rescinded and those monies will be returned to the LWC scholarship fund for future use. The organization must reapply to be considered for any future scholarships and any increases in tuition are the responsibility of the organization. If a scholarship recipient leaves the employ of the organization during the program year, the scholarship monies must be repaid to LWC per the Scholarship Acceptance & Repayment Policy (available upon request and requires review and signing by scholarship recipients at the time of acceptance.
Application Steps
Complete the online application.
If you are applying for a scholarship please email a letter of recommendation to Tara@leadershipwashingtoncounty.org.
Pay the $75 non-refundable application fee upon completion of the application via PayPal link (credit cards are accepted via the PayPal. You do not need a PayPal account to submit the application fee). If you do not pay the application fee at the time of application, you will be required to complete the application again to access the application fee link.
By the end of March, you will be contacted to schedule an interview during the first few weeks of April.
Notification of acceptance will occur in early May 2025.
Tuition payment is due by mid-June.
Before Applying
Check your calendar to ensure you do not have any conflicts with the program dates.
Read the attendance policy (above) and make sure you are able to adhere to the policy in order to complete the LWC program. Class members whose absences exceed the attendance policy are unable to receive a certificate of completion.
If you are seeking scholarship support for help with tuition, the request for a scholarship must be made at the time of application. All documentation required to be considered for a scholarship must be submitted by the application deadline on March 28, 2025.