Bloomberg Philanthropies has announced a $25 million commitment to New York University to endow a fellowship aimed at ensuring that the most dedicated and innovative future leaders have access to, and robust training for, careers in public service.

The Georgina and Charlotte Bloomberg Public Service Fellows Program at the Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service — named for Bloomberg Philanthropies founder Michael R. Bloomberg's daughter and mother, both of whom earned degrees from NYU — will provide up to twenty students a year with full tuition scholarships to complete their Master of Public Administration or Master of Urban Planning degrees. To be launched in the 2021-22 academic year, the two-year fellowship also will include a unique curriculum, paid internships, leadership development programming, and career guidance, as well as access to Bloomberg Philanthropies' network of mayors and government leaders for work and mentoring opportunities.

"Seldom have the times demanded excellence from our public servants more than they do now. Seldom have the problems been more intense, or the doubts about government's capabilities greater. It is a moment that cries out for leadership — capable, knowledgeable, impartial, fair-minded, analytic, far-sighted, and honest people determined to make things better for their fellow citizens," said NYU president Andrew Hamilton. "And that is the discernment and timeliness of this generous gift — it comes at just the right moment, when there is a hunger for the finest young minds — well-trained and highly professional — to commit to taking on these challenges. That is precisely the kind of public servants this fellowship program will produce year after year."