Prepare Yourself for Impact: The President’s Leadership Program

Social. Change. Agent. Individually these words have distinct meanings. However, when you combine these words and place them in the hands of Colorado State students participating in the President’s Leadership Program, you have impact that spreads beyond the borders of campus and into the community. And you could have an impact too as part of this program at CSU.

Consider that since the inception of the President’s Leadership Program (PLP) in 1989, hundreds of Colorado State students have developed into the social change agents the program is intended to create. The PLP is an intensive curriculum where students take three year long courses titled, “A Call to Lead”, “Leadership as Life,” and “Leadership Capstone.”

To give an example of a class project completed through the PLP, students in the “A Call to Lead” course participated in a service-learning activity on the Pine Ridge Lakota Reservation in South Dakota. There they worked in conjunction with community members to build a ropes course facility that will be used for team building activities as well as develop leadership skills for the youth on the Pine Ridge Reservation.

Activities like this are only one reason why Kristen Arnesen, a senior majoring in history and psychology, has really enjoyed her experience.

“It’s an opportunity that has given me the foundation to learn for the rest of my life,” she said. “I hope to go into teaching, and the lessons I’ve learned in this program have given me the confidence to succeed after college.”

Currently the President’s Leadership Program has 80 students enrolled. It is coordinated through the Student Leadership, Involvement and Community Engagement office, also known as SLiCE. The program’s objectives include teaching students skills in leadership theory, ethical behavior, communication and cultural awareness.

To learn more about the President’s Leadership Program and the nomination process, visit http://www.slce.colostate.edu/slice/plp.