Take The Lead: Leadership Development Programs
Take The Lead Leadership Development through Community Engagement
Take The Lead is a three semester, integrated leadership development program designed for students interested in learning and practicing the basics of leadership development theory and developing as campus and community leaders. The semesters build on top of each other or can be taken individually as stand-alone certificates.
Leadership development is a process. UMass CALLS builds from the social change model of leadership, in which Individual competencies, self-knowledge, and critical awareness are developed through collaborative, community engagement with the aim of fostering positive social change. The Take The Lead program guides students through this process, helping them to become active, caring citizens who work to build community and strive towards social justice.
Take The Lead provides preparation and support for effective leadership in projects that students care about and find compelling. Students learn leadership skills, values, and ideas through group dialogue, reflection, and practice. Take the Lead connects students to existing groups and organizations that fit their developing interests and goals, and supports students as they engage in collaborative efforts to transform communities in relation to their shared values and commitments.
The program moves students through three stages that build upon each other or can be taken individually: Emerging Leaders, Developing Leaders, and Community Leadership. Emerging Leaders and Developing Leaders can be completed in consecutive semesters. Successful completion of Emerging Leaders (or equivalent) is a prerequisite for participation in Community Leadership, a semester-long stage that can be completed in either the fall or spring semester. Successful completion of Emerging Leaders, Developing Leaders, and Community Leadership each earn a leadership certificate. Community Leadership has the option of being taken as for credit.
Emerging Leaders
The first stage is organized around a series of 8 workshops during which students discuss and reflect on foundational questions, explore leadership values, engage with opportunities for leadership development on campus, and conduct a mini-project in relation to leadership skills and theory.
1) Foundational Questions: What is leadership? What does it mean to be a leader in the contemporary moment? How can leadership skills and values build capacities for individual advancement and to work in collaboration and become active, engaged citizens? What is the relationship between leadership and social justice?
2) Leadership Opportunities: Students are exposed to and interact with a range of groups and organizations on campus that can develop their interests and advance their leadership goals. Students discuss leadership values and skills in relation to outside presentations, guided discussions, and interactive exercises.
3) Mini-Projects: Throughout the semester, students will develop and conduct a mini-project that will help them to express and refine their leadership goals through community engagement. The projects culminate in an end of the semester presentation and a related selection of an organization or initiative to work with as part of Part 2.
Developing Leaders
During the second stage, students involve themselves in (or continue their involvement with) an on-campus organization, endeavoring to work collaboratively and strengthening leadership skills. Emerging Leaders will meet as a collective 5 times over the course of the semester and 2 times with selected mentors. Students discuss and reflect on their experiences participating with their different organizations. The situations, challenges, and opportunities students encounter are brought into dialogue with leadership values, skills, and student goals.
Over the course of the semester, students identify a need or opportunity that would be beneficial to the organization, and develop a proposal for a project that can be successfully completed as part of the Community Leadership stage.
Community Leadership
Information around the third stage of Take the Lead coming soon!