Please Note: LEAD is a graduation requirement that all sophomore students must attend. The classes will be taught weekly on Wednesday nights from 8:30-9:30pm. Attendance is required for all sophomore students and will be taken within the first five minutes of class. Individual questions can be directed to the LEAD program coordinator, Emma Wilson, Coordinator of Student Leadership and Service.
IMSA’s Leadership Education & Development program (LEAD) is a student-facilitated course for sophomore students. At IMSA, we believe that leadership can be learned through discussion and application. Thus, this course is designed to take an intricate look at various definitions, theories, models, and conceptualizations of leadership. Students are challenged to think critically about leadership during peer-to-peer facilitated class discussions, hands-on exercises, and group work. Students are provided with leadership foundations early in the year through LEAD’s Evolution of Leadership Modules. These modules examine the nature of leadership as it is understood through organizational and psychological models. After the Evolution of Leadership Theory modules, LEAD students attend meetings of CORE modules and an elective series of their choice.
The mission of LEAD is to foster social awareness and equip students with the resources to enhance their understanding of the inner works of leadership. During the first semester, students explore what leadership means to them. Students go on to apply leadership through their elective course spring semester. The three electives students may choose from are SocEnt, EnACT, IMPACT, which center on social entrepreneurship, public policy, and data journalism, respectively. Students will work on student group projects which address UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDG) as a framework to choose a targeted issue and structure their research.
IMSA graduates will be proficient in essential leadership skills and concepts such as communication skills, service learning, and advocacy. The program also provides opportunities to explore belief systems, values, and the process of ethical decision-making.
Residence Life
At IMSA, we believe that leadership must be developed in all areas of life. This is why the Residence Life staff has a curriculum focusing on leadership, among other topics. For more information regarding this, please go to the Residence Life page for a description of the Residential Life program with and Residential Life staff listing.
