The UW Leaders Program will provide educational and experimental opportunities for students over the course of the academic year through workshops, guest speakers, internships, and the application of these skills through service in the University and the community. A group of approximately 25 students will participate in the entire program together and in the process develop close interpersonal bonds over the course of the year. For students to attain a comprehensive understanding of leadership, service, and civic responsibility, the UW Leaders Program will take student through a two step process: learning leadership and practicing/sharing leadership.

Learning Leadership

This first phase of the program will take place during winter quarter. After students are selected for the program through an application process, they, along with a group of student leaders/mentors, will be involved in a retreat. The purpose of the retreat will be to acquaint all the participants of the program with one another and to outline, in specific details, the rights and responsibilities of each participant as well as get an introduction to the curriculum and goals for the year. The student participants (leaders) would then have the opportunity to become acquainted and interact with the mentors. Group activities will be organized for all leaders to learn about each other and to begin to develop trust and bonds amongst one another.

Following the retreat, leaders will be introduced to the concepts and ideas of leadership, community and civic responsibility through weekly educational sessions and workshops taught by the curriculum mentors. Some workshops are designed to teach students concepts and ideas about leadership, community and civic responsibility, while other workshops focus on giving an opportunity for self-reflection, and understanding and for learning practical leadership skills. Guest speakers are also incorporated into the curriculum, allowing the leaders to hear first hand the various roles of leadership. Past speakers have included Student Regent, Boeing Executives, Nationally recognized Professors, Athletic Coaches, Politicians, and President Richard McCormick.

Practicing/Sharing Leadership

Once the leaders are introduced to the concepts and ideas of leadership they will have the opportunity to see and practice these concepts. In the second phase of the program students will be required to participate in an internship for one quarter. These internships are envisioned to be no more than 3-5 hours per week. Some of these internships will be performed on campus with university departments and inside the ASUW such as commissions and committees, while others will take place at various public and private organizations in the community such as tutoring high school students. The internship is really an opportunity for the leaders to partake in an activity or cause that they are interested in while also allow leaders to see and leaders on campus and in the community at work, and give them an opportunity to begin applying the skills and ideas they have learned.

The last component of the program will be for the leaders to perform service projects in groups with the mentors. The emphasis of this project is sharing leadership, where students would be able to accomplish a goal working together through the application of group communication skills, decision-making, and incorporation of diverse ideas. The leaders will select a service project of their choice in which they will be responsible for planning and implementing in one quarter. This project is intended to serve the university and or the larger community. Some past service projects have included Habitat for Humanity, AIDS Walk, helping at a nursing home, and organizing a prom for underprivileged children. The fun does not end here! As leaders they are given the opportunity to become future mentors and help set up the program for the next year.