Over a nine-month period, Protégé Chattanooga participants connect with their peers and area business and community leaders to develop their business and civic-engagement potential, as well as build enduring personal and professional connections.
Nominations and Applications are accepted each year throughout the month of March. Prospective candidates need not be nominated in order to apply, and the program is open to YPC non-members.
To accommodate the scheduling needs of emerging professionals, two cohorts are offered, day and evening. The program annually launches with a late-August orientation and concludes with a mid-May graduation; between September and April, each cohort meets twice a month.
A maximum of 24 protégés (between the ages of 21 and 40) are selected each year through a competitive process. Applicants are evaluated based on their:
- Sincere dedication, motivation, and interest in civic engagement through a track record of volunteerism and/or community service;
- Demonstrated ability and commitment to collaborate within/across the two cohorts;
- Recognized potential for career advancement;
- Alignment with community diversity through representation of various socioeconomic sectors, professions/expertise, perspectives, ages, cultural or ethnic backgrounds, and Hamilton County geographies.
Participants must meet attendance requirements in order to graduate; therefore, candidates are encouraged to apply only if their calendar accommodates the entirety of the class schedule.
