Put the you in u-LEAD.
“U-LEAD is overall comprehensive for creating leadership skills among students across the board,” Director of Student Life Brett Bruner said.
U-LEAD combines all of the different leadership programs led by student coordinators on campus.
The programs are Adventure Leadership Experience, Emerging Leaders’ Summit, LeadHERship Women’s Leadership Program, Men’s Leadership Project, First Year Photo Experience and Leadership Exchange.
Bruner said every program meets periodically throughout the semester and students can participate in as many of the programs as they want to.
The adventure leadership experience is for those who enjoy adventuring and the outdoors. This program will put students’ team skills to the test.
“The students will participate in outdoor activities on and off campus, like a rope course and camping” Chelsea Pennock, Adventure Leadership Experience student coordinator, said.
The Adventure Leadership Experience Program will help students develop critical thinking skills.
Though this is the first year for many of the programs, Emerging Leaders’ Summit has been a program on campus for the past two years.
Bruner said the summit is geared more toward helping freshmen.
The summit is an overnight stay at Camp Chippewa near Ottawa.
There, students will develop teamwork skills and receive encouragement to become leaders on campus and in the community.
LeadHERship offers women a chance to do community service for the humane society and domestic violence victims, as well as to work on speed networking and practice self-defense.
Junior Brittany Reed, LeadHERship Women’s Leadership student coordinator, said the women that participate would have the opportunity to go to the Kansas Women’s Leadership Conference in Hays.
The women that participate in the program will be encouraged to read “My Year with Eleanor,” a book about a 29-year-old woman who spends a year facing her fears.
The Men’s Leadership Project is designed to help male students understand how gender plays a role in leadership development.
The group promotes being active, healthy and respectful role models for youth in the community.
“The men’s project is more community-service based” junior Jacob Nowak, Men’s Leadership Project student coordinator, said.
Unlike the other programs, the First Year Leadership Photo Project is a self-reflective project.
Freshmen and transfer students are invited to document their transition and growth at Baker University through photos and writing.
The Leadership Exchange is when students at Baker visit student leaders at other college campuses.
While visiting the campus, students share best practices, common challenges and also complete a service project with the host student-leaders.
The new leadership programs are meant to help students know how to apply leadership skills to real-life situations and to help students find his or her inner-leader.
