Minot Mayor Tom Ross has been selected to participate in the inaugural cohort of The Hunt Institute’s Early Learning Nation Fellowship (ELN), according to a news release from the City of Minot.

The ELN Fellowship is a prestigious, invitation-only program designed to support locally elected officials who are committed to establishing their communities as national leaders in early childhood education. This Fellowship program was founded on the belief that all young children deserve a great start in life, and this critical goal can be met only if local leaders are at the center of the work.

This inaugural cohort of Fellows will include more than 100 mayors, school board members, city and county council members, and other elected stakeholders from across the country.

“Early childhood education shapes our future leaders. I am honored to be invited to represent the City of Minot alongside mayors from across the country,” Ross said in the release. “This program will provide resources and connections to promote student success.”

The Hunt Institute, a national nonpartisan nonprofit, was founded by four-term North Carolina Governor Jim Hunt in 2001 and brings together people and resources to inspire and inform elected officials and policymakers about key issues in education, resulting in visionary leaders who are prepared to take strategic action for greater educational outcomes.

The release stated the ELN Fellows’ first meeting, held on August 22, 2024, was conducted virtually and included review of the program’s structure and goals and time to share initial thoughts on the kinds of local action that will make a difference in the early childhood landscape in their communities. The cohort will have its second meeting in person in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Sept. 4, where ELN Fellows will engage with one another to learn more about how to navigate local policies that impact early childhood issues.

ELN Fellows will then join colleagues, including senior-level state elected officials, gubernatorial staff, and key early childhood system leaders from their home states, to attend The Hunt Institute’s Early Childhood Leadership Summit from Sept. 4-6.