What is the Unum Academy?
In 2024, EPU launched its work with the second and third classes of the Unum Academy, comprising 30 college students from 12 of our 13 Southern states. The Unum Academy leadership accelerator aims to foster the personal and professional development of college students in the South who have an interest in addressing policies, practices, and structures that create inequality. Over the course of their one-year experience, Unum Academy members not only receive foundational leadership education, but also practical training in the methods, frameworks, and tools used by Project Directors and other practitioners in the areas of community building and organizational work. Academy members practice their new skills during an EPU-funded summer internship with an community-focused organization in their local area. These organizations then become members of the Unum Alliance, if they are not already, further building EPU’s network.