LCAT established a fellowship program in 2001 that addresses the leadership shortage at the community level in Hispanic/Latino tobacco prevention and control.

The purpose of the Fellows Program is to create a trained cadre of Hispanic/Latino prevention and control advocates capable of increasing public awareness and changing public policies in communities throughout the United States.

To date, the program has produced 105 Fellows and 18 Fellows’ Team Leaders trained in Hispanic/Latino tobacco prevention and control. Team Leaders are selected from applicants based on outstanding skills and performance.

The Fellows are trained, in part, through an intensive two-day leadership institute and participation in a two-day tobacco conference. Ongoing education and training occurs through regularly scheduled conference calls with other Fellows and Fellows’ Team Leaders and through teleconferences conducted by LCAT.

Following their initial training, LCAT Fellows either create or join existing tobacco prevention and control networks in their communities where they develop and implement year-long Individual Action Plans to promote prevention and control.

In addition, LCAT Fellows become a part of the National Hispanic/Latino Tobacco Prevention and Control Network and work to expand and strengthen it.

The Fellows also serve as LCAT “ambassadors” by helping the organization respond to information, technical assistance and speaking requests in the Fellows’ communities and states.

The Fellows Program is significant for responding to the need for community-level leadership by recruiting and building the ranks of trained Hispanic/Latino tobacco control and prevention advocates and for providing new sources of assistance and information for the field and public.