Badgers LEAD is a new student leadership development program coming to the Hill at the beginning of April. 

Badgers LEAD Leadership Program is designed to develop and shape the leadership values and styles of our current student leaders and aspiring student leaders. During the program, students will reflect on leadership models and engage in training activities over the course of six weeks. This includes an overnight retreat. 

All student leaders involved in Student Government Association, Residence Life, Badger Connection and Campus Programming Board are required to attend Badgers LEAD. The assistant director of the Center for Student Involvement, Kaylen Hawkins, said that the program begins this April. However, the program will later open to all Spring Hill students who are in pursuit of student leadership opportunities. 

According to Kristyn Russell, the Director for the Center for Student Involvement, the program is starting with the “highest level of student leaders.” Then it will be hosted for all other student organization leaders toward the end of the semester with potential virtual follow ups in the summer.

This early training will allow more time for conversations and collaborations to begin with the hope to better impact the campus community in the future. The Badgers LEAD Leadership Program is intended to support all students on their journey to leadership development and enhance their current skill set. 

Russell added, “For the Fall 2020 semester, we had multiple areas of student leaders return early to campus for a very similar program. While this program went very well, we decided to have the conversations prior to the start of the position to allow student leaders time to get to know each other on a more personal level before having to work together in a broader scope.”

“We have created a more intentional version for our incoming 22-23 New Student Leaders. All Resident Advisors, Badger Connection Guides, SGA, and CPB members will go through a retreat and workshop style leadership program. Many of these student leaders work closely together and we feel it's important that they are knowledgeable of their own leadership styles, campus resources, and training that will support them to be more inclusive leaders on campus,” Russell said. 

 To learn more about Badgers LEAD contact the Center for Student Involvement, located on the second floor of the Barter Student Center and stay up to date by following their Instagram @shccsi