Leadership by Design Summer Program
Shenandoah University, Winchester, Virginia
June 14-19, 2015
Overview: The Leadership by Design Summer Program is a 6 day residential program which aims to support, develop, and encourage students from many Virginia high schools. This program encourages participants to think critically about what makes for highly effective public service. Though the emphasis is having students participate in activities and discussions that lead to self-reflection and discovery of their strengths as individuals and how they function in team situations, the culmination of the week is their service at 5 non-profits on our community during the week.
Description: The 6 days will expose the students to a variety of outstanding public service leaders with whom they will interact on a daily basis. Through discussion, teamwork activities, research in our library, speech preparation, and collecting community public opinion with door-to-door canvassing, these students will develop a deeper perspective from which to continue to grow in their public service and citizenship.
Criteria for selection: Mature students who could benefit from a residential learning experience with focus on self-knowledge, civic engagement, advocacy, and entrepreneurial service to community. We seek diversity in all aspects of student participation.
Cost: Students are asked to submit a $150 registration fee for an experience is considered a $1,000 scholarship. This covers all materials, room, board, and activities. There are optional 3 college credits with an additional fee.
Description of learning environment, discussion, and activities:
The discussion leaders bring a vast knowledge, credentials, and experience in teaching, learning, civic engagement, and advocacy.
The first part of the week is focused on students learning more about themselves, their strengths, and how they interact in groups. Students participate in the Myers Briggs exercise, SIMSOC (a Simulated Society exercise), and music engagement with drumming and discussion based on that experience. The focus on knowledge of self is interspersed with physical activities such as campus-wide scavenger hunt in groups, bowling with discussion leaders, swimming and cook out at one of our trustees homes.
Mid-week to the end of the week, the focus turns to service in community. The principles of advocacy, community organizing, the community needs, and the organization of city and state government are explored. Students spend a full day in community non-profits with hands on engagement with the population who participate with the non-profit. Students spend time with the directors of the non-profits to gain knowledge of community need, budgets, and outreach. One evening, all students canvass door-to-door in the 4 wards of the City of Winchester with a survey gathering perceived community needs.
Classroom discussion supporting these activities:
1)Dr. Bernie Lewis – Ethics
2)Dr. Karen Schultz – Principles of Advocacy, Etiquette of community canvassing, data collection
3)Sharen Gromling, Executive Director of Our Health who is an internationally recognized Human Resource trainer.
4)Anne Lewis, Assistant City Manager for Harrisonburg, VA who leads discussion and exercises in organizational leadership
5)Tracy Fitzsimmons, President, Shenandoah University
Graduation on June 24th will consist of a banquet dinner and program that is student-led. It will be a very special evening highlighting the excellence of our Leadership by Design students!!
For further information, please contact:
Karen Kennedy Schultz, Ph.D., MBA
Director and Professor, The Center for Public Service and Scholarship
Shenandoah University
1460 University Drive
Winchester, VA 22601
office: 540-678-4385
Lander Barbour Manuel
Administrative Assistant
office: 540-665-4696